═══ 1. Quick Start ═══ When you first start LinkRight, you are given a choice of whether you want to make the machine the Local machine or the Remote machine. You should make one machine the Local, and the other Remote. You will control all file transfers from the Local machine. After making a machine the Remote machine, you should select which port to connect on the Remote machine. That should be the last selection you make on the Remote machine. For the Local machine, you must also select a port to connect. If you have a box on BOTH machines that says "Establishing a connection Please Wait", there is a problem with the connection. Make sure you selected the proper ports, cables are connected, etc. A common error is to select a port to connect from on the Local machine without selecting a corresponding port on the Remote machine. You must select a connect port from BOTH the Local and Remote machine. If you cannot establish a connection using LPT ports, you should try LPT Test To change directories on either the Remote computer or the Local computer, double click on the directory you want to change to. The directory ".." is the parent directory. Use the Copy button to send files and directories from the Local computer to the Remote computer or to send files and directories from the Remote computer to the Local computer. First, mark files and directories by single clicking the primary (left) mouse button. Then, hit the Copy button. If you have marked files from both the Remote side and the Local side, transfer order is Local to Remote first, then Remote to Local. ═══ 2. This Demo Software ═══ This is demo software (crippleware). It does not support parallel port connections or high speed serial port connections. The only connection supported is low speed (9600 bps) serial port. Other than that, this is a fully functional product. The shrink wrapped version supports parallel port connections and high speed serial port connections. ═══ 3. Local or Remote?? ═══ When you first start LinkRight, you are given a choice of whether you want to make the machine the Local machine or the Remote machine. You should make one machine the Local, and the other Remote. You will control all file transfers from the Local machine. After making a machine the Remote machine, you should select which port to connect on the Remote machine. That should be the last selection you make on the Remote machine. For the Local machine, you must also select a port to connect. If you have a box on BOTH machines that says "Establishing a connection Please Wait", there is a problem with the connection. Make sure you selected the proper ports, cables are connected, etc. A common error is to select a port to connect from on the Local machine without selecting a corresponding port on the Remote machine. You must select a connect port from BOTH the Local and Remote machine. ═══ 4. Logs ═══ Two kinds of logging takes place. Event logging and Error logging. A Retry batch file is also created if there is a file transfer error. ═══ 4.1. EventLog ═══ The Event log contains useful information for keeping track of what files have been transferred. You can view the Event log by selecting View\Event Log. The path and name of this file is where BASEDIR is where you installed LinkRight. ═══ 4.2. ErrorLog ═══ The Error log contains useful information for keeping track of any LinkRight errors. You can view the Error log by selecting View\Error Log. The path and name of this file is where BASEDIR is where you installed LinkRight. ═══ 5. Batch Files ═══ You can create a Batch file and then run the Batch file you created. The Retry file is special type of Batch file. Any time there is a file transfer error or LinkRight quits while a file transfer is in progress, an entry is made in the Retry file. You can then run the Retry file to retransmit the files. ═══ 5.1. Batch Mode On ═══ When you select Batch Mode On, you can mark files and hit the Copy pushbutton. No files are sent or received. Instead, file information is saved into a list of files. Later, you can send/receive the files by selecting Run Batch File. ═══ 5.2. Batch Mode Off ═══ After selecting Batch Mode On and selecting files to send/receive, you should select Batch Mode Off to save the Batch file and return to Normal mode. ═══ 5.3. Run Retry File ═══ If file transfers fail for some reason, a special batch file is created called the Retry file. The file specification is where BASEDIR is where you installed LinkRight. You can View the Retry file by selecting View\Retry. If you select Run Retry File, LinkRight will send/receive the files listed. ═══ 5.4. Run Batch File ═══ After creating a Batch file, you can run it by selecting Run Batch File. ═══ 6. Connections ═══ You can select which port to use for your connection from the Connect menu. If you have a message box on BOTH machines that says "Establishing a connection Please Wait", there is a problem with the connection. Make sure you selected the proper ports, cables are connected, etc. A common error is to select a port to connect from on the Local machine without selecting a corresponding port on the Remote machine. You must select a connect port from BOTH the Local and Remote machine. ═══ 7. LPT Test ═══ If you cannot establish a connection using LPT ports, you should run the LPT test. This will attempt to establish a connection using all 3 LPT ports. You must run the test on both machines, Local and Remote. Please allow about a minute for the tests to run to completion on both the Local and the Remote machines. This test is sometimes necessary, because LPT port addresses are not standard for all computers. Upon completion, LinkRight will report which LPT port you should use to establish a connection. If LinkRight reports that it was unable to establish a connection on any LPT port, make sure you have the proper cable hooked up to a parallel port on both machines. If the problem persists, please contact Rightware for technical support. ═══ 8. Options ═══ You can select options to control various LinkRight system functions. Event Log Options Error Log Options Retry Options Copy EAs To/From DOS Copy Subdirectories Copy Newer Files Only Force Copy Copy Archive Only Idle Time Transfers Only ═══ 8.1. Event Log Options ═══ These options control handling of the Event Log. The Event Log can be disabled by selecting Do Not Write Event Log. If you select Overwrite Event Log, when you start LinkRight, the Event Log will be empty. Append Event Log will preserve the Event Log between sessions of LinkRight. ═══ 8.2. Error Log Options ═══ These options control handling of the Error Log. If you select Overwrite Error Log, when you start LinkRight, the Error Log will be empty. Append Error Log will preserve the Error Log between sessions of LinkRight. ═══ 8.3. Retry Options ═══ These options control handling of the Retry file. If you select Overwrite Retry Command File, when you start LinkRight, the Retry Command File will be empty. Append Retry Command File will preserve the Retry Command File between sessions of LinkRight. ═══ 8.4. Copy EAs To/From DOS ═══ If this box is marked, then when you copy files to a DOS system using LinkRight, EAs are also copied. The EAs are stored on a per directory basis in the file OS2DEAS.EAS. If you then transfer the file back to an OS/2 system from a DOS system, the EAs are transferred back also. ═══ 8.5. Copy Subdirectories ═══ If this box is marked, subdirectories are copied. If this box is not marked, only individually marked files are copied. ═══ 8.6. Copy Newer Files Only ═══ If this box is marked, only newer files are copied. The date and time checked is the "Last Written" date and time. ═══ 8.7. Force Copy ═══ If this box is marked, all files are copied regardless of flags or dates. ═══ 8.8. Copy Archive Only ═══ If this box is marked, all files with the Archive bit set are copied. Other files are ignored. ═══ 8.9. Idle Time Transfers Only ═══ If this box is marked, file transfers occur at the lowest system priority. The user interface portion of LinkRight still runs at normal priority. ═══ 9. Copy button ═══ Use the Copy button to send files and directories from the Local computer to the Remote computer or to send files and directories from the Remote computer to the Local computer. First, mark files and directories by single clicking the primary (left) mouse button. Then, hit the Copy button. If you have marked files from both the Remote side and the Local side, transfer order is Local to Remote first, then Remote to Local. ═══ 10. Delete button ═══ Use the Delete button to delete files and directories. Directories must be empty before they can be deleted. First, mark files and directories by single clicking the primary (left) mouse button. Then, hit the Delete button. If you have marked files from both the Remote side and the Local side, delete order is Local first, then Remote. ═══ 11. Mkdir button ═══ Use the Mkdir button to create directories on either the Remote computer or the Local computer ═══ 12. Changing Directories ═══ To change directories on either the Remote computer or the Local computer, double click on the directory you want to change to. The directory ".." is the parent directory. Use the Copy button to send files and directories from the Local computer to the Remote computer or to send files and directories from the Remote computer to the Local computer. First, mark files and directories by single clicking the primary (left) mouse button. Then, hit the Copy button. If you have marked files from both the Remote side and the Local side, transfer order is Local to Remote first, then Remote to Local. ═══ 13. Refresh button ═══ The Refresh button will redisplay the file list for both the Local and Remote computer. ═══ 14. Sales Information ═══ Initial retail sales will be handled by Indelible Blue (919) 834-7005 and The Corner Store, 1-800-I BUY OS2. Egghead, CompUSA, Corporate Software, Merisel, etc. are possible distributors and retailers. We will do what we can to encourage these retailers and distributors to sell LinkRight. For quantity discounts, you should contact: Rightware Inc. Susan Tremble, Vice President of Marketing. Voice answering machine (301)762-1151 Fax (301)762-1185 ═══ 15. Technical Support ═══ For technical support, please contact Jeff Tremble, Chief Developer of LinkRight. Compuserve: 71033,3517, OS2AVEN/Other Vendors, or OS2USER/App quest Internet: 71033.3517@compuserve.com Fido Netmail: Jeff Tremble, 1:109/347 (OS/2 Shareware) Direct BBS: Jeff Tremble, Local Area OS/2 Shareware, (703) 385 4325 I also watch comp.os.os2.apps. Voice answering machine (301)762-1151 Fax (301)762-1185 ═══ 16. Remote Help ═══ When you first start LinkRight, you are given a choice of whether you want to make the machine the Local machine or the Remote machine. You should make one machine the Local, and the other Remote. You will control all file transfers from the Local machine. The only selection you should make from the Remote computer is which port to connect. After a connection is established, everything else is controlled from the Local computer. ═══ 17. Future Stuff ═══ As a registered user of LinkRight Version 1.0, you will receive free of charge version 1.1 when it is available. You will also receive a coupon which you can use to receive an upgrade to version 2.0 when it is available. Planned features for future versions include: Bug fixes for any bugs found in version 1.0. Missing features in version 1.0. DOS to DOS version LPT device driver to improve parallel port thruput. Display a sorted list of files. Display EA size along with the usual information about each file. Speed optimizations. Current status report listing file being xfered; bytes sent; bytes left; files sent this session; packet error count; file error count; etc. You can assist us by telling us which features you would like to see and which features you do not care about. If you have a feature that is not listed that you would like to have, please let us know. ═══ 18. Directory Syncronization ═══ To perform Directory Syncronization, select Newer Files Only from the Options Screen. Change directories on both the Local and Remote computer to the parent directory of the two directories you want to synchronize. Mark the two directories and hit the Copy pushbutton. Note: the directories must have the same name. ═══ 19. DOS Version ═══ The DOS version can only be used as the Remote computer. The DOS version uses command line parameters to select which port to use. At the DOS prompt, type LRDOS.EXE with no parameters for a list of valid parameters. ═══ 20. OS/2 Command Line Version ═══ The OS/2 command line version can be used in the Remote or Local mode. The OS/2 command line version uses command line parameters to select the mode, which port to use, and the batch file to use. At the OS/2 command line prompt, type LRBAT.EXE with no parameters for a list of valid parameters. The batch file can be created using the PM version of LinkRight or using a text editor. To create a batch file, select Batch Mode On, mark files, and hit the Copy pushbutton. You can change drives and directories while in Batch mode. When you are done building the batch file, select Batch Mode Off to return to normal operations. Caution should be used when creating a batch file using a text editor. Spaces are significant. You can run LRBAT.EXE from an OS/2 system that has been booted from floppies. It does not require Presentation Manager. This could be used to transfer OS/2 from one computer to another. ═══ 21. Bugs and Missing Features ═══ There is a bug in marking a directory to transfer if the directory has a space in the name. It is not a problem if the directory is a subdirectory of another directory that was marked. The work around is to manually create a directory and manually mark the files in the directory that you want to transfer. If you attempt to use the COM ports at too high of a speed, LinkRight on the Remote computer may die. It does not crash OS/2, just LinkRight. The work around is to run LinkRight at a slower COM speed. Generally speaking, you can run LinkRight at HI speed if both machines have at least 25 Mhz 486's; MED speed if both machines have at least 25 MHz 386 DX's; LOW speed otherwise. This assumes at least 8 MB on OS/2 machines. If you have less memory and therefore some swapping, a slower speed should be selected. Overwriting the Retry file is disabled. You should manually Clear the Retry file. Idle time only transfers do not work properly and are disabled. Transferring a file from HPFS to FAT causes the filename to be truncated to 8.3. Transferring the file back to HPFS you should get the long file name back, but doesn't. If you find any other bugs, please let us know so we can fix them. ═══ 22. Mouseless Use ═══ F10 Moves focus to the Menu TAB Moves focus to the Local or Remote list of files Return Selects an entry Space marks an entry Arrow Keys move the cursor within a group ═══ 23. Hints and Tips ═══ For higher thruput and easier use, you should make the faster of the two computers the Local computer. The appearance of LinkRight can be easily customized. Open OS/2 System / System Setup / Color Pallette and drag a color to a portion of the LinkRight screen. The new color will be preserved between sessions of LinkRight. You can use the Scheme Pallete and Font Pallete to do similar customization. ═══ 24. MCA vs. ISA,EISA ═══ LPT port addresses are not standard for all computers. Generally speaking, LPT1 for MCA machines is 0x3BC while LPT1 for ISA/EISA is 0x378. But even this varies. To determine what LPT you should select to run on your particular computer, try the LPT Test. With cables hooked up to both Local and Remote computers, select the LPT Test menu item from both computers. LinkRight will then tell you which LPT you should use to establish a connection. This is the only known difference in the way LinkRight functions between MCA/ISA/EISA computers.