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CHAPTER8.DQC
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Chapter 8 - Utility Commands
Description of the ConIX internal utility commands, available for
use on the command line.
- CONTENTS -
__________________________________________________________________
8. Utility Commands...................................... 8-1
8.1 = (Equals): Set Disk Variables.................... 8-1
8.2 ATRIB: Get/Set File Attributes.................... 8-2
8.3 BDEC: Convert Binary to Decimal................... 8-3
8.4 BOT: Print Bottom Address of ConIX................ 8-3
8.5 BTOP: Print BDOS Top Address...................... 8-4
8.6 BYE: Exit to CP/M................................. 8-4
8.7 CHR: Convert ASCII to Hex......................... 8-4
8.8 CLS: Output Clear Screen Sequence................. 8-4
8.9 COPY: Copy a Disk File............................ 8-5
8.10 DECB: Convert Decimal to Binary................... 8-5
8.11 DEL: Delete Files with Confirmation............... 8-6
8.12 DIR: List Directory............................... 8-6
8.13 ECHO: Print Arguments............................. 8-8
8.14 ERA: Erase Files.................................. 8-9
8.15 EXAM: Examine Memory.............................. 8-9
8.16 EXEC: Execute Arguments........................... 8-9
8.17 FILL: Fill Memory with a Constant................. 8-10
8.18 FIND: Find File in Search Path.................... 8-10
8.19 FLUSH: Empty the Print Spooler.................... 8-11
8.20 HXPR: Convert Hex to ASCII........................ 8-11
8.21 IN: Input Data From a Port........................ 8-11
- i -
8.22 INDEX: Find String................................ 8-11
8.23 LOG: Log-In a Drive............................... 8-12
8.24 MOVE: Copy Memory................................. 8-13
8.25 OPT: Enter ConIX Options.......................... 8-13
8.25.1 +/-AF: Set Archive File Location............. 8-14
8.25.2 +/-BC: Set Boot Command...................... 8-15
8.25.3 +BP: Set Bell in Prompt...................... 8-15
8.25.4 -BP: Remove Bell in Prompt................... 8-15
8.25.5 +/-CD: Set Data Files Location............... 8-15
8.25.6 +/-CS: Set Clear String Sequence............. 8-15
8.25.7 +/-CX: Set ConIX Program Location............ 8-16
8.25.8 +/-DC: Set Number of DIR Columns............. 8-16
8.25.9 +DL: Auto-Login on Disk Reset................ 8-16
8.25.10 -DL: No Login on Disk Reset.................. 8-17
8.25.11 +DR: Disk Reset on Warm Boot................. 8-17
8.25.12 -DR: No Reset on Warm Boot................... 8-17
8.25.13 +DW: Enable Disk Wait Control................ 8-17
8.25.14 -DW: Disable Disk Wait Control............... 8-17
8.25.15 +/-ER: Restore ConIX Environment............. 8-17
8.25.16 +/-ES: Save ConIX Environment................ 8-18
8.25.17 +/-FC: Set Function Character Keys........... 8-18
8.25.18 +/-FK: Set Function Keys Lead-in............. 8-19
8.25.19 +GS: Set the GOSUB Stack..................... 8-19
8.25.20 -GS: Restore the GOSUB Stack................. 8-19
8.25.21 +/-IA: Set Input Port Address................ 8-20
8.25.22 +/-IB: Set Input Buffer Length............... 8-20
8.25.23 +/-IP: Set Input Port Device................. 8-20
8.25.24 +/-MM: Set Memory Management................. 8-21
- ii -
8.25.25 +/-OA: Set Output Port Address............... 8-21
8.25.26 +/-OB: Set Output Buffer Length.............. 8-22
8.25.27 +/-OP: Set Output Port Device................ 8-22
8.25.28 +PC: Enable Command Print.................... 8-23
8.25.29 -PC: Disable Command Print................... 8-23
8.25.30 +/-PF: Set Pipe File Location................ 8-23
8.25.31 +PR: Enable Transcript Mode.................. 8-23
8.25.32 -PR: Disable Transcript Mode................. 8-24
8.25.33 +PS: Set Print Spooling...................... 8-24
8.25.34 -PS: Disable Print Spooling.................. 8-24
8.25.35 +SA: Enable Archive Searching................ 8-25
8.25.36 -SA: Disable Archive Searching............... 8-25
8.25.37 +SB: Set BDOS Address (&0006)................ 8-25
8.25.38 -SB: Reset BDOS Address...................... 8-26
8.25.39 +/-SL: Set Screen Length..................... 8-26
8.25.40 +SO: Enable Spooler on Output................ 8-26
8.25.41 -SO: Disable Spooler on Output............... 8-26
8.25.42 +/-SP: Set Disk Search Path.................. 8-26
8.25.43 +SS: Set the SWITCH Stack.................... 8-27
8.25.44 -SS: Restore the SWITCH Stack................ 8-27
8.25.45 +/-ST: Set Sleep Time Constant............... 8-27
8.25.46 +TA: Set Type-Ahead Buffer................... 8-28
8.25.47 -TA: Reset Type-Ahead Buffer................. 8-28
8.25.48 +/-TC: Set Type-Ahead Cancel Character....... 8-28
8.25.49 +TE: Enable Type-Ahead Echo.................. 8-28
8.25.50 -TE: Disable Type-Ahead Echo................. 8-29
8.25.51 +TR: Enable Command Tracer................... 8-29
8.25.52 -TR: Disable Command Tracer.................. 8-29
- iii -
8.25.53 +UC: Set Upper Case Mapping.................. 8-29
8.25.54 -UC: Disable Upper Case Mapping.............. 8-29
8.25.55 +/-VF: Set Variable File Location............ 8-30
8.25.56 +XD: Enable ExpanDisk References............. 8-30
8.25.57 -XD: Disable ExpanDisk References............ 8-30
8.25.58 +/-XS: Set Extension Search List............. 8-30
8.25.59 +XU: Set Extended User Areas................. 8-30
8.25.60 -XU: Disable Extended User Areas............. 8-31
8.26 OUT: Output Data to a Port........................ 8-31
8.27 READ: Read a File into Memory..................... 8-31
8.28 REN: Rename a Disk File........................... 8-31
8.29 RESET: Reset Disks................................ 8-32
8.30 SET: Set Disk Variables........................... 8-32
8.31 SRCH: Search for a Byte in Memory................. 8-33
8.32 TEXT: Read Text with Editing...................... 8-34
8.33 TOP: Print Top Address of ConIX................... 8-34
8.34 TYPE: List File Contents.......................... 8-35
8.35 UDIR: List Files Through User Areas............... 8-35
8.36 WP: Write Protect Disks........................... 8-35
8.37 WRITE: Write Memory to a File..................... 8-36
8.38 XSTAT: Print Exit Status.......................... 8-36
8.39 ZAP: Modify Memory................................ 8-37
8.40 Command Name Conflicts............................ 8-37
- iv -
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8. Utility Commands
There are two major classifications of commands under the ConIX
environment. The first is the disk-based commands, which are
executable programs stored on disk in files whose names end with a
.COM extension. These commands are loaded from disk into memory
each time they are requested on the command line.
The second classification is the internal commands, which are
executable programs that are resident within ConIX itself. They
are loaded from the main CONIX.COM file, and executed directly
from the memory which ConIX occupies. These built-in functions
are used for such mundane tasks as listing, examining, erasing,
and renaming files. Also available are commands that allow access
to system memory. The sections that follow will detail the usage
of the ConIX internal utility commands.
8.1 = (Equals): Set Disk Variables
<A:00> = <variable> (value)
The `=' or Equals command is used to set the contents of the 52
disk-based letter variables. The variable to be set is specified
by a single upper/lower case letter, a-z or A-Z. Its value may be
supplied as the following argument on the command line. If no
value is given, a line of raw (uneditable) console input will be
taken as the value.
For example, the command line:
<A:00> = a "hello"
will set the variable $A to contain the string "hello".
Similarly, the command:
<A:00> = a
hello
<A:00>
will also set the $A variable to the value of "hello". The only
difference is that, in the latter case, the value of the variable
was taken from the console input stream instead of the command
line. This is most useful for setting a variable from the output
stream of a program, as:
<A:00> dir | = a
where $A is set to the first line of the output from the DIR
command. Any control characters passed through the input stream
of the command will not be stripped, but stored as data within the
variable. For example, the sequence:
8-1
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
<A:00> = a
g<-hello
<A:00>
where you typed a `g' by mistake, hit backspace, then typed the
correct string. The $A variable will contain the backspace
control character (CTRL-H), since the variable is set to the raw
input from the keyboard. The end of input is signaled by the
<RETURN> or CTRL-M character. To input with editing, use:
<A:00> getl |@ = <variable>
where the GETL command will read a line of editable input from the
system keyboard into the given variable.
The contents of all letter variables are stored in the disk file
A:0/VARS.SET. This file is created with its SYStem attribute set,
and will therefore not appear in a regular directory listing. If
the file does not exist, it will be created when a variable is
set. Each variable stored in the file is assigned a maximum space
of 255 bytes. The directory location of the variables file is
settable via the OPT +/-VF internal command.
Should the command line argument be null (""), or the input
contain only a blank line, the variable will be reset to contain
no value. All letter variables are initialized to hold no data
value. If the variable had a value and was later reset to null,
its entry slot is freed from the disk variable file. This slot
may later be occupied by the same or another variable. Disk space
is not freed by this action.
8.2 ATRIB: Get/Set File Attributes
<A:00> atrib <#num> <#action> <filename>
There are special attributes which may be set in the name of a
file that indicate certain things about the way it is stored. For
example, the SYStem or DIRectory attribute determines whether or
not the file will be printed in a regular directory listing.
There is also the R/O (Read-Only) and R/W (Read-Write) attribute
which determines if a file may be modified.
The ATRIB command allows you to manipulate these file attributes.
The num argument refers to the particular attribute bit, a number
which may range from 0-11. Each attribute number corresponds the
setting of the high-bit of one of the twelve possible characters
in a filename.
The action argument determines the action that is to take place on
the specified attribute. If action is 0, the attribute is reset
to zero (the hi-bit turned off). If action is 1, the attribute
bit will be activated. If action is 2, the current setting of the
attribute will be listed. The filename argument specifies the
file that is to be affected by this action.
8-2
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
Although 12 attributes are available, only two are actually pre-
assigned certain meanings. They are:
tab(@); lw(.5i)0 l l. #9@0 = R/W@1 = R/O #10@0 = DIR@1 = SYS
The others are available for your own purposes.
To illustrate, let's say you wanted to find if a file has its SYS
attribute set. You may type:
<A:00> atrib 10 2 foo.asm
0
<A:00>
which prints the setting of the tenth attribute bit of the file
FOO.ASM. In this case it is zero, indicating that the file is
DIR.
You may now decide to change it to SYS, as:
<A:00> atrib 10 1 foo.asm
which sets the tenth attribute to an ``on'' value, thus making the
file SYS. Examining this attribute would now show:
<A:00> atrib 10 2 foo.asm
1
<A:00>
where the `1' indicates that the attribute bit is set.
8.3 BDEC: Convert Binary to Decimal
<A:00> bdec (&num)
BDEC will convert the 16-bit hexadecimal number, num, given as its
argument into its decimal equivalent. For example:
<A:00> bdec ffff
65535
<A:00>
where FFFF hex is equal to 65535 decimal.
8.4 BOT: Print Bottom Address of ConIX
<A:00> bot
The BOT internal command prints the bottom or ending address of
ConIX in memory. This address references the first byte after the
last memory location occupied by ConIX. Memory between this
address and the start of the BDOS (as reported by the BTOP
command) is not used by any system or application software, and is
8-3
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
available for private data storage. Note that this area may be
lengthened by specifying a lower relocation address at INSTALL
time.
8.5 BTOP: Print BDOS Top Address
<A:00> btop
BTOP is used to determine the top or starting address of the CP/M
BDOS in memory. This address points to the first byte of the JMP
instruction into the original CP/M syscall decoder.
8.6 BYE: Exit to CP/M
<A:00> bye
The BYE command will terminate the execution of ConIX, and return
control to the resident CP/M CCP. This command, in effect,
performs a BIOS warm boot operation, which causes CP/M and the CCP
to be reloaded from the system tracks of the A: disk, and then
executed. Of course, be sure that the disk in A: contains a CP/M
system image before executing BYE.
8.7 CHR: Convert ASCII to Hex
<A:00> chr (string)
CHR will convert and print the hexadecimal equivalent of the ASCII
character string given as its first argument. For example, the
command:
<A:00> chr "hello"
68 65 6C 6C 6F
<A:00>
where `h' was converted to 68 hex, `e' to 65, etc.
8.8 CLS: Output Clear Screen Sequence
<A:00> cls
CLS will output the contents of the clear screen sequence, as set
by the OPT +/-CS internal command. This feature was chosen so as
to provide portability between systems that use different
character sequences to clear the terminal screen.
8-4
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.9 COPY: Copy a Disk File
<A:00> copy <dest>=<source>
This command will copy the contents of the disk file source to the
file dest. For example:
<A:00> copy foo.sav=foo.asm
will make a copy of the file FOO.ASM in FOO.SAV. The destination
file must be non-existent, or else an error message will be
printed and the copy function will be aborted.
Additionally, you may copy from a source file that is stored in a
different disk or user area, as:
<A:00> copy foo.sav=b:10/foo.asm
where the source file resides on B:10/ and the copy will be made
in the current default directory. If the copy is also to reside
in a different directory, specify the disk and/or user area as:
<A:00> copy b:10/foo.sav=b:10/foo.asm
where the copy will be made in B:10/, the same directory that
contains the source file.
If the filename and extension specification in dest is not
supplied, the source filename will be assumed, as:
<A:00> copy a:=b:foo.asm
where a copy of B:0/FOO.ASM is made in A:0/.
Note that the COPY command uses TPA memory from location 100 until
the top of ConIX (if necessary) to buffer the read/writes.
Programs or data residing in the TPA may be overwritten by this
function.
Note that COPY strips the R/O (read-only) attribute bit when
creating the destination file.
8.10 DECB: Convert Decimal to Binary
<A:00> decb (#num)
DECB will convert the decimal number, num, given as its argument,
into its 16-bit hexadecimal equivalent. For example:
<A:00> decb 65535
FFFF
<A:00>
8-5
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
where 65535 decimal is equal to FFFF hex.
8.11 DEL: Delete Files with Confirmation
<A:00> del <file(s)>
The DEL command is used for deleting disk files with user-
interactive questioning. For each file that is specified or
matched, the user is asked to confirm whether or not the file is
to be deleted. Respond with a `y' to erase the file, or any other
character to leave it on disk. These responses are read in
``raw'' mode as single characters, therefore no carriage return is
necessary after your response. Any combination of filenames or
patterns (using the `*' and `?' characters) may be specified as
arguments to DEL. For example:
<A:00> del foo.asm 10/*.com
A:00/FOO.ASM (y/n) ? y
A:10/FOO.COM (y/n) ? n
A:10/BAR.COM (y/n) ? <RETURN>
<A:00>
where only the first file, FOO.ASM, was deleted since the user
responded with a `y' affirmative. Note that the command:
<A:00> del *.*
is quite powerful, although not dangerous at all, since you are
given the ability to selectively delete the matched files. It is
recommended if you have a disk with many files to clean up, and do
not want to specify each one on the command line.
8.12 DIR: List Directory
<A:00> dir (file(s))
The DIR command is used to list the files stored in the disk
directory. Any combination of filenames or patterns (using the
`?' and `*' characters) may be specified as arguments to DIR. For
example:
<A:00> dir foo.asm *.com
A:00 FOO ASM
A:00 FOO COM : BAR COM
<A:00>
where the requested file and any files matching the given pattern
were listed. If no file arguments are specified, the current disk
directory will be listed, as:
8-6
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
<A:00> dir
A:00 FOO ASM : FOO COM : BAR COM
<A:00>
If only a disk and/or user area is specified, the entire directory
of that disk and user area will be listed, as in:
<A:00> dir b: 10/
B:00 FOOBAR ASM
A:10 FOOSAV ASM : BARSAV ASM
<A:00>
Note that the extra white space before and after the listed
filenames is used to indicate whether a file has its SYStem
(invisible) or R/O (read-only) attributes set. If the file is
stored with its invisible attribute set, it can only be listed by
specifying a pattern or its exact filename, and its name will be
enclosed in parenthesis to indicate the setting of this attribute.
A file which is stored with its read-only attribute set will be
listed with an asterisk to the right of its name.
For example, let's say the directory of A:01 contained the
following files: TEST.ASM - Read Only, TEST.HEX - System, and
TEST.COM - Read Only and System. The command:
<A:00> dir 1/
A:01 TEST ASM *
<A:00>
lists only one file, TEST.ASM, which is read-only. The other two
files are not listed because they have the invisible attribute
set. We can, therefore, define ``invisible'' as meaning that the
file will not be printed in a regular directory listing. This
feature can be defeated by typing:
<A:00> dir 1/*.*
A:01 TEST ASM *: (TEST HEX) : (TEST COM)*
<A:00>
which lists all the files in the directory, including the
invisible ones. The total number of all files listed is stored in
the $$0 hex variable, which is accessible as:
<A:00> bdec $$0
3
<A:00>
which, after the previous example, would be 3, since that many
files were listed.
8-7
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
8.13 ECHO: Print Arguments
<A:00> echo (arg(s)) (\>#column) . . .
The simplest form of the ECHO command occurs when it is used to
display its arguments on the console screen, as:
<A:00> echo hello world!
HELLO WORLD!
<A:00>
where the two arguments HELLO and WORLD! were output to the
console screen.
ECHO also contains a special formatting instruction which may be
used to generate columnar output. For example:
<A:00> echo 1 \>5 2 \>10 3 \>15 4
1 2 3 4
<A:00>
where ``\>5'' indicates a tab to column 5, ``\>10'' to column 10,
etc. If the actual column number is greater than the one
requested, no tab will take place. The tabified format is
achieved through the output of the appropriate number of space
characters.
ECHO terminates each line of output with a CR/LF sequence. If
this is not desired, simply place two backslashes after the last
character in the last argument, as:
<A:00> echo hello\\; echo \ there!
HELLO THERE!
<A:00>
where the first ECHO didn't terminate the output line with a CR/LF
so that the second could continue from that point. This is most
useful for prompting for user input within Command Language
programs.
ECHO is also useful for outputting strings to memory or system
devices. For example, to feed a sheet of paper out of your
printer, you can use:
<A:00> echo ^l\\ > :lst
which will send a form-feed (CTRL-L) character to the system
printer device.
8-8
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.14 ERA: Erase Files
<A:00> era <file(s)>
The ERA command is used to erase files stored in the disk
directory. Each file which is specified or matched by a pattern
(using the `?' and `*' characters) will be removed without
confirmation, as in:
<A:00> era foo.asm 10/*.com
<A:00>
Only error messages are printed after the invocation of ERA to
indicate a bad or non-existent filename or pattern. A returned
prompt should be taken as an indication that the requested files
were successfully deleted.
Users that are left rather uncomfortable by the silence of ERA
should use the DEL command instead, which prompts for each
individual file to be deleted.
8.15 EXAM: Examine Memory
<A:00> exam <&start> <&end>
EXAM is used to examine the contents of system memory. The hex
data values in memory from the start to end addresses will be
listed to the console screen. The right margin of the listing
will contain an ASCII interpretation of the data in memory. If
the data at a particular memory location is a printable character
(20 hex to 7E hex), it will be printed in ASCII as that character.
Otherwise, a `.' will be substituted in its place. If the hi-bit
of the character is on, it will be interpreted as if it had been
off. The value of the first and last byte printed is saved in the
hex variables $$0 and $$1, respectively.
8.16 EXEC: Execute Arguments
<A:00> exec (arg(s))
EXEC takes its arguments and transmits them back into the input
command line to be re-parsed. In effect, it's like EXEC types the
input once again for you. It is mainly intended for use with the
ConIX variables.
To illustrate, let's say the variable $A contained the string:
dir>dir.out
which appears to be a command that would execute the DIR command
with its output redirected into the file DIR.OUT. If you were to
try and execute the contents of this variable as:
8-9
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
<A:00> $a
DIR>DIR.OUT?
<A:00>
you'd get an error, because ConIX does not ``parse'' the
characters within the variable, and didn't determine that output
redirection was requested. To get this to function properly, use
the EXEC command, as:
<A:00> exec $a
which would then reparse the contents of the $A variable as its
argument into the proper command sequence.
If you wanted to execute $A more conveniently, you could set the
variable to contain the EXEC command, as:
exec dir>dir.out
and then you could simply type:
<A:00> $a
to execute the command.
Note that any arguments to EXEC which were specified in double
quotes will remain in double quotes when reparsed. Additionally,
EXEC can only reparse up to 128 characters. Excess characters
will cause an ``overflow'' message to be printed.
8.17 FILL: Fill Memory with a Constant
<A:00> fill <&start> <&end> <&value>
The FILL command is used to fill an area of system memory from the
start to end addresses with the specified value. The most common
usage is:
<A:00> fill 100 fff 0
which will zero memory so you can see what a program modified in
memory after it executes.
8.18 FIND: Find File in Search Path
<A:00> find <filename>
The FIND command is used to locate a file in the search path. If
the given filename contains no disk or user area reference, a
search through the path will be performed. Otherwise, FIND will
look only in the specified directory. If the file is found, its
full disk and user specification, including the filename itself,
will be printed to the screen. Bad exit status will be returned
8-10
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
if the file cannot be found.
8.19 FLUSH: Empty the Print Spooler
<A:00> flush
The FLUSH command is used to wait until all characters in the
spool file have been sent to the printer. This is useful in
combination with the OPT -PS command, which is used to turn the
spooler off. Use a FLUSH beforehand to make sure that the spooler
is not disabled while there are still characters in it that are
waiting to be sent to the printer.
8.20 HXPR: Convert Hex to ASCII
<A:00> hxpr (&numlist)
HXPR will convert the 8-bit hex numbers given as its arguments
into their ASCII equivalents. These characters will be printed to
the screen, as in:
<A:00> hxpr 68 65 6C 6C 6F
hello
<A:00>
where 68 was converted to `h', 65 to `e', and so on.
8.21 IN: Input Data From a Port
<A:00> in <&port>
The IN command is used to read and print the value at the
specified system machine port, as in:
<A:00> in 20
FF
<A:00>
where FF is the hex value read from system port #20 hex, and is
saved in the $$0 hex variable. Legal port numbers range from 0 to
FF, which is the standard number of ports that the 8080/Z80
processors can address.
8.22 INDEX: Find String
<A:00> index <str1> (str2)
INDEX is used to search for the occurrence of the string str1
within str2. If found, the character position of the match is
stored in $$0, and good exit status is returned. Otherwise, $$0
is set to zero, and INDEX returns bad exit status. For example:
8-11
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
<A:00> index hello abchellodef
<A:00> xstat
00
<A:00> bdec $$0
4
<A:00>
This command sequence indicates that the string HELLO was found
within the string ABCHELLODEF, starting at the fourth character.
Good exit status was also returned.
If str2 is omitted, the input stream is searched for a match of
str1. Each line which contains str1 within it will be printed to
the screen. If a match occurs, $$0 will be set to the character
position of the first match, and $$1 to the last. Bad exit status
will be returned if no match occurred. For example,
<A:00> index test < file.txt
will list each line read from the given input file, FILE.TXT, that
contains the character string TEST.
8.23 LOG: Log-In a Drive
<A:00> log (drive(s))
When CP/M is initially booted, all disk drives, except for A:,
come up in a ``reset state'', namely CP/M does not yet know of
their existence. That's why the first time you type ``B:'' there
is a delay while CP/M tries to figure out what kind of a drive it
is, and what is stored in the directory. This process is called
the Disk Login, and is used mainly to determine the amount of free
space that is available for writing onto the disk. From then on,
every time the disk directory is accessed, CP/M compares it to
what the directory should be. If they differ, then the disk was
probably changed, and the drive is set to read only.
The LOG command is used to activate the disk login vector. The
specified drives are referenced by a single letter (A-P)
corresponding to the drive to be logged in. For example:
<A:00> log b
will cause drive B: to be logged in. Similarly,
<A:00> log bcd
will cause drive B:, C: and D: to be activated. If the drive
specification is eliminated, as:
<A:00> log
then all drives appearing in the disk search path will be logged
in. This is especially useful for conveniently activating your
8-12
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
drives for auto searching after a disk reset.
Note that any drives which were already activated will not be
logged in again. Any drive which is unlogged must be ready and
on-line, since the login process requires a disk to be loaded in
the drive. If there is none, the system may hang.
If a question mark is given as an argument to LOG, a single letter
corresponding to each currently logged-in disk will be printed to
the screen. For example:
<A:00> log ?
AB
<A:00>
indicates that drives A: and B: are currently activated.
8.24 MOVE: Copy Memory
<A:00> move <&start> <&end> <&new>
MOVE will move or copy memory from one region to another. The
block to be copied is specified by the start and end addresses.
The location to which it is to be copied is specified as new. The
amount of memory which will be changed is determined by the size
of the source block.
8.25 OPT: Enter ConIX Options
<A:00> opt +/-/?<option> (arg(s))
The OPT command is the most extensive of all the internal
utilities, allowing you to change many default settings within the
ConIX system. With this command, you can customize the way ConIX
will operate in your particular environment.
The option argument is a two letter mnemonic referring to the
specific setting you wish to change. The option name must be
preceded by a `+', `-', or `?', to indicate the action to be
taken.
Many options have dual purposes. The first may be a positive
action, as ``yes'' to do the action, as indicated by the `+'
character. The second may be negative, as ``not'' to do the
action, or to reverse its meaning, as indicated by the `-'
character. The `?' is used to query the current setting of the
specified option.
For example, the action of the BP option is to set a bell in the
system prompt. It may be used as:
<A:00> opt +bp
8-13
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
where the `+' means, ``yes, set the bell in the prompt''.
Conversely, you could type:
<A:00> opt -bp
where the `-' means, ``no, do not set the bell'', which would turn
off the bell if it was on.
Some options require arguments which may be given on the command
line, immediately following the option name. For example, the DC
option sets the number of columns displayed by the DIR command,
as:
<A:00> opt +dc 4
where the argument to the DC option indicates that four columns
are to be printed in a directory listing.
To query the current setting of an option, use the `?' specifier,
as, for example:
<A:00> opt ?dc
4
<A:00>
which shows the DC option to be set for 4 output columns.
Note that, in order to save memory, there is very little error
checking done by the OPT command. It is assumed that the user
will supply the correct arguments and values to the selected
option. Be careful, as specifying incorrect options may produce
strange results. The following sections contain usage
descriptions of all available options.
8.25.1 +/-AF: Set Archive File Location
<A:00> opt +/-af (D:)(#/)
Commands which are preceded by a `%' are read from the default
archive file, %.ARC. By default, ConIX will look for this file on
drive A, user area 0 (A:0/). This location may be changed by
using the AF option, where D: is the disk code (A: - P:), and #/
is the user area (0/ - 31/). Either or both of these codes may be
specified in the argument string. If any is omitted, the current
value will be assumed. For example:
<A:00> opt +af b:
changes the default from A:0/ to B:0/.
8-14
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.25.2 +/-BC: Set Boot Command
<A:00> opt +/-bc <command>
ConIX provides a special ``command boot'' feature that allows the
user to simply hit CTRL-B at the system prompt and boot up a
predetermined program. By default, this program is set to
``MENU'', but may be changed with the BC option to the desired
command string (maximum 32 characters).
8.25.3 +BP: Set Bell in Prompt
<A:00> opt +bp
Invoking the +BP option will set a bell character (07) to be
embedded within the system prompt string. This will cause the
console terminal bell to sound each time the prompt is listed.
This is useful if you are performing many time consuming
operations, and would like an audible notification of when the
process is completed, and the prompt is returned.
8.25.4 -BP: Remove Bell in Prompt
<A:00> opt -bp
The -BP option is used to remove the bell character from the
system prompt string, returning it to a ``silent mode''. This
setting is the startup default.
8.25.5 +/-CD: Set Data Files Location
<A:00> opt +/-cd (D:)(#/)
The CD option is used to change the directory in which ConIX will
store its temporary operational data files. This includes the
CONIX.DAT/$ file which holds the contents of the Permanent Data
Storage Section of ConIX, created when the highest level of memory
management is invoked. Also included is the CONIX.ENV environment
file, which is utilized whenever one Command Language program
nests to another.
By default, these files are stored in the directory from which
ConIX was initially invoked. This location may be changed by the
CD option to the specified disk and/or user area.
8.25.6 +/-CS: Set Clear String Sequence
<A:00> opt +/-cs (string)
This option will set the value of the clear string sequence output
to the screen by the CLS command. The characters in this string
8-15
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
should cause the console screen to clear, placing the cursor in
the left topmost position (home). If the console is a printer,
this string should contain a character sequence that would advance
the paper to the top of the next page, with the carriage
positioned at the beginning of the line.
The characters in the string are specified directly on the command
line in the first argument to the CS option. Up to 7 characters
may be used for the clear string. Control codes may be
represented by using the `^' character. By default, the clear
string is not set.
8.25.7 +/-CX: Set ConIX Program Location
<A:00> opt +/-cx (D:)(#/)
The ConIX Operating System is stored on disk in the file
CONIX.COM, which is loaded into memory from the CP/M CCP after a
cold system reset. This file is later used by ConIX to reload
itself after memory management is invoked. It is assumed to be
stored, by default, on the drive and user area from which ConIX
was initially loaded.
The CX option is used to change the directory of the ConIX machine
code file. The new location is specified in the first argument,
where D: is the disk code (A: - P:), and `#/' is the user area (0/
- 31/). Either or both of these codes may be supplied in the
argument string.
8.25.8 +/-DC: Set Number of DIR Columns
<A:00> opt +/-dc <#cols>
The DIR command lists directory files in columnar form. With the
DC option, you can set the output to be formatted by cols number
of columns. The default startup setting is 4.
8.25.9 +DL: Auto-Login on Disk Reset
<A:00> opt +dl
When this option is set, all search path disks will be
automatically logged in after a disk reset. This entire operation
has the same effect as typing the commands RESET and LOG on the
command line.
If the +DR and +DL options are both in effect, a warm boot by a
program or a CTRL-C entered at the system prompt will cause the
reset and login function to be executed. Otherwise, should the -
DR option alone be in effect, only a CTRL-C at the prompt level
will cause this operation to take place.
8-16
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.25.10 -DL: No Login on Disk Reset
<A:00> opt -dl
The -DL option is used to disable the drive auto-login feature.
This is the default mode of operation. The current setting of
+/-DR will remain unchanged after this option is iNvoked.
8.25.11 +DR: Disk Reset on Warm Boot
<A:00> opt +dr
When this option is enabled, a program which terminates in a warm
boot (jump to location 0000 or BDOS system call 0) will cause an
automatic disk reset. This is operationally equivalent to
entering the RESET command at the system prompt after the program
finishes execution. In addition, if the +DL option is set, all
search path disks will be logged in after the reset.
8.25.12 -DR: No Reset on Warm Boot
<A:00> opt -dr
This option is used to disable auto-reset after program warm boot,
and is the default mode of operation. The setting of +/-DL will
not be changed by the invocation of this option.
8.25.13 +DW: Enable Disk Wait Control
<A:00> opt +dw
The +DW option enables Disk Wait Control, which allows you to use
a CTRL-S to pause execution when a program is accessing disk.
Once paused, you may abort using CTRL-C, or continue by typing any
other character. This feature is, by default, enabled on startup.
8.25.14 -DW: Disable Disk Wait Control
<A:00> opt -dw
The -DW option disables CTRL-S pause control during disk accesses,
and is used primarily to disallow an abort when performing
operations that should not be disturbed by the user.
8.25.15 +/-ER: Restore ConIX Environment
<A:00> opt +/-er
The ER option is used to restore the ConIX environment saved in
the CONIX.DAT/$ file by the ES option, below. Note that, when
8-17
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
used with Command Language programs, the restoration of the
environment will cause command execution to start from the point
at which the environment was initially saved.
8.25.16 +/-ES: Save ConIX Environment
<A:00> opt +/-es
The ConIX environment refers to the permanent data section, namely
Memory Management level 7. It is in this section that the current
settings of all options and features are stored. When managed out
(memory level above 7), this segment is saved into and recalled
from the CONIX.DAT/$ file. The ES option simulates this ``save''
operation, storing the contents of the permanent data section in
the environment file. This file can be used later to facilitate
the quick restoration of the environment if ConIX has to be
``cold'' reloaded (as is done within the WARMBT program.)
8.25.17 +/-FC: Set Function Character Keys
<A:00> opt +/-fc <&lead-in> (+)(&key) (&value) . . .
This option is used to set the lead-in character used to access
the Programmable Function Character Keys as well as the values of
the keys themselves. To change only the lead-in character,
specify its hex code as the first argument after the FC option.
This will set the given key to indicate the start of a function
character sequence. Typically, you should set the lead-in
character to be in the control range (00 - 1F hex), although any
value is allowed. To enter the lead-in character as input to a
program, simply type it twice. By default, the lead-in is not
set, but CTRL-K or 0B hex is recommended.
To set the function character keys, specify the hex code for the
key and its corresponding value, each as separate arguments.
These definitions must appear on the command line directly after
the lead-in argument. To avoid resetting the lead-in each time a
key is given, substitute the null string ("") for the lead-in
argument, and the current value will be assumed.
Setting one character key will cause all other key values to be
reset, unless a `+' is specified before the first key argument.
In this case, all subsequent definitions will be added to those
keys currently set. Up to 24 key definitions can be made. Any
excess will be ignored. By default, some character keys will be
preset at startup, as:
A = @ At-sign
B = \ Backslash
C = ^ Caret or Circumflex
D = DEL DELETE or Rub Out (7F hex)
K = } Close Brace
L = [ Left Bracket
8-18
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
O = { Open Brace
P = | Pipe Symbol
Q = ` Backwards Quote
R = ] Right Bracket
T = ~ Tilde
U = _ Underscore
X = ! Exclamation Point
These keys were chosen because they are often not found on some older
keyboards. Many of them have special meaning to ConIX, and
come preset and ready for use, if needed.
8.25.18 +/-FK: Set Function Keys Lead-in
<A:00> opt +/-fk <&lead-in>
This option is used to set the lead-in for the Programmable
Function Keys. The lead-in argument is a hex byte code
corresponding to the character which would indicate the start of a
function key sequence. It should be set to a value in the control
range (00 - 1F hex), although any value is permissible. To enter
the lead-in as an actual character to a program, simply type it
twice. By default, the lead-in is not set, although a CTRL-F or
06 hex is recommended.
8.25.19 +GS: Set the GOSUB Stack
<A:00> opt +gs <&address> (#levels)
The +GS option allows the location in memory of the GOSUB stack to
be set to a user-supplied address. The size of the stack is
specified by levels, which indicates the maximum number of levels
to which a GOSUB may be nested. If no level number is specified,
a default of 16 will be assumed, with each level requiring 3 bytes
of memory. The end address of the stack is equal to address +
(levels * 3).
The default stack setting resides in an area within ConIX memory
that can accommodate up to 16 nested levels. This default is
activated whenever a Command Language program is invoked.
Therefore, the GS option can only be used to modify the stack
location within a running program.
8.25.20 -GS: Restore the GOSUB Stack
<A:00> opt -gs
The -GS option is used to reset the GOSUB stack to use the default
internal stack of 16 levels.
8-19
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
8.25.21 +/-IA: Set Input Port Address
<A:00> opt +/-ia <&address>
The input port address is used to reference a machine code routine
which will do character input as the :UIA device. The IA option
is used to set this routine to begin at the specified address in
memory. This program should return the input character in the CPU
Accumulator, with the end of the input stream marked by an EOF
character (CTRL-Z). Of course, the device driver should be loaded
into memory before the device is referenced on the command line.
8.25.22 +/-IB: Set Input Buffer Length
<A:00> opt +/-ib <#records>
A data buffer is automatically created at the end of the TPA
whenever input is being redirected from a disk file. This buffer
will contain the characters being read from the input file, and is
intended to cut down on the number of disk accesses necessary when
reading data from a file. ConIX will read a block of characters
into the memory buffer and then transfer them individually to the
input of the running program.
The IB option will set the number of 128 byte records that are to
be used for buffering the input file in memory. The maximum
number of records is 16, or a buffer size of 2048 bytes, with the
startup default being 8 records.
Note that this option is most useful for computers which use
single density disks. Many double density systems already buffer
1024 bytes in memory, therefore making the input redirection
buffer redundant and unnecessary. For such systems, the minimum
record count of 1 is recommended.
8.25.23 +/-IP: Set Input Port Device
<A:00> opt +/-ip <&stat><&mask><0/1><&data>
The IP option will set the parameters of the special user-
definable input device, :UDI. This is done by internally using a
procedure to read a system status port, stat, masking off the
ready bits using the mask byte, and checking if the data is ready.
The 0/1 argument specifies which overall value at the status port
indicates the ready condition. If "0" is given, a zero value of
the masked bits means that the data is ready. Otherwise, if a "1"
is given, a non-zero value is taken to indicate data ready. In
any case, when the data is tested to be ready, it is read from the
machine port data and returned to the running program.
This entire procedure can be internally summarized as a simple
8080 assembly language routine:
8-20
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
1) For a zero mask value:
wait: in status ; read the status port ani
mask ; strip off the ready bits jnz wait ; if any
bits are on, keep trying in data ; read the data
ret ; return character to program
2) For a non-zero mask value:
wait: in status ; read the status port ani
mask ; strip off the ready bits jz wait ; if no
bits are on, keep trying in data ; read the data
ret ; return character to program
The most typical implementation is the second one, since most I/O
ports use a non-zero value in the mask bits to indicate the data
ready condition. The end of the stream of input characters should
be marked by an EOF (CTRL-Z).
8.25.24 +/-MM: Set Memory Management
<A:00> opt +/-mm <#level>
This option is used to set the default memory management level,
indicating the topmost segment of ConIX which is to remain in
memory when a disk-based command (.COM) file is executed. The
level number may range from 1 to 8, where 1 is the lowest level
(all of ConIX remains in memory) and 8 is the largest (all but the
1/2K loader will be removed). By default, the management level is
set to 1 at startup.
Note that, as expected, OPT ?MM will print the current memory
level number. In addition, supplying a particular level argument
will give you the address in memory of the beginning of the
specified level.
8.25.25 +/-OA: Set Output Port Address
<A:00> opt +/-oa <&address>
The output port address is used to reference a machine code
routine which will do character output as the :UOA device. The OA
option is used to set this routine to begin at the specified
address in memory. The device handler should expect to receive
the output character in the E register. Be sure that this routine
has been loaded into memory before referencing the device.
8-21
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
8.25.26 +/-OB: Set Output Buffer Length
<A:00> opt +/-ob <#records>
When output is redirected to a disk file, a buffer is
automatically created at the TPA end in order to cut down on the
number of disk accesses necessary when writing the output file.
ConIX will first fill this block in memory with the output
characters before transferring them to the disk file.
The OB option will set the number of 128 byte records of output to
be buffered in memory. The maximum number of records that can be
allocated to this buffer is 16, or 2048 bytes. The default buffer
size is 8 records, although a record count of 1 is recommended for
systems which internally buffer disk operations in 1024 byte
blocks.
8.25.27 +/-OP: Set Output Port Device
<A:00> opt +/-op<&stat><&mask><0/1><&data>
This option will set the parameters of the special user-definable
output device, :UDO. Output to this device references an internal
procedure to read a system status port, masking off the ready bits
using the mask byte, and checking if the device is ready to
receive the data. The 0/1 argument specifies what overall value
of the mask bits will indicate that the output port is ready. If
"0" is given, a zero value of the masked bits means that the data
can be sent to the device. Otherwise, if a "1" is given, a non-
zero value will indicate the ready condition. In any case, when
the device is tested to be ready, the character will be sent to
the given data port.
The following 8080 code demonstrates this operation:
1) For a zero mask value:
wait: in status ; read the status port ani
mask ; strip off the ready bits jnz wait ; if any
bits are on, keep trying mov a,e ; get the data
from the E register out data ; send it to the
device ret ; done
2) For a non-zero mask value:
wait: in status ; read the status port ani
mask ; strip off the ready bits jz wait ; if no
bits are on, keep trying mov a,e ; get the data
from the E register out data ; send it to the
device ret ; done
The latter routine represents the most typical implementation, as
I/O ports generally use a non-zero mask to indicate the data ready
condition.
8-22
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.25.28 +PC: Enable Command Print
<A:00> opt +pc
The +PC option allows the printing of commands entered at the
prompt level when transcript mode is enabled by CTRL-P or the +PR
option. With this feature, the output to the printer will be an
exact replica of what was typed and displayed at the system
console. This is the default setting on startup.
8.25.29 -PC: Disable Command Print
<A:00> opt -pc
The -PC option will disable command printing when transcript mode
is in effect. Commands entered at the prompt level will not be
displayed on the printer device. Only output from an executing
command will be printed. This is useful when a contiguous
printout of many commands is desired, without having the listing
marred by the instructions typed at the prompt level.
8.25.30 +/-PF: Set Pipe File Location
<A:00> opt +/-pf (D:)(#/)
The PF option provides the user with the ability to select the
directory which will be used to hold the temporary pipe
redirection file TMPIPnnn.$$$. Upon startup, the default is to
create the temporary file in the directory from which the piped
commands were invoked. Using the PF option, any desired directory
can be used for this file.
Users of hard disk or memory drive (ramdisk) systems should use
this feature to have ConIX perform the pipe operation on the
fastest storage medium. This will reduce much of the delay when
using floppy disks for the temporary file.
8.25.31 +PR: Enable Transcript Mode
<A:00> opt +pr
This option enables printer transcript mode. Console output will
be sent to the printer device (:LST) as well as the console
screen. This option performs the same function as when CTRL-P is
hit to enable transcript printing.
8-23
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
8.25.32 -PR: Disable Transcript Mode
<A:00> opt -pr
This option disables transcript print mode as set by the +PR
option or a CTRL-P. This setting is the default on startup.
8.25.33 +PS: Set Print Spooling
<A:00> opt +ps (#size) (D:)(#/) (&eof) (#delay)
The +PS option is used to activate the print spooling feature.
The size argument specifies the number of records to be set aside
for use by the spool file. The disk and user codes specify the
location on disk where the spool file is to be stored. The name
of this file is CONIX.SPL and is created with its invisible (SYS)
attribute set. The default disk and user area is A:0/, and will
be used to hold the spool file if no location is specified. The
default size is 8 records. Therefore, invoking this option with
no arguments sets the spool file to be 8 records in length and
stored in A:0/. The maximum size of the spool file is 65,535
records, or, effectively, as large as available disk space
permits.
The eof argument specifies the character that is to be used as the
spooler EOF. This special character is used internally to
indicate the end of the spool output stream. It is set, by
default, to 0FF hex. You may set this to any character you like
if FF would be an actual character output to the printer when
spooling, in which case, you wouldn't want it to be interpreted as
an EOF. Since only text is sent to the printer in most
applications, the default setting should be fine. If screen dumps
or bit-mapped images are output, you must find a character that
will never be output to the printer, and set it to be the EOF.
The eof value must be unique in order for the spooler to function
properly.
The delay argument specifies the loop constant used to determine
the amount of time that should elapse before spooling restarts
after a character is entered at the console keyboard. By default,
this constant is set to 2FFF hex, which should be sufficient for
most systems. If your system utilizes interrupt driven input,
then this delay is probably unnecessary, and should be set to 1,
the smallest possible value.
8.25.34 -PS: Disable Print Spooling
<A:00> opt -ps
This option will disable the print spooling feature, and delete
the spooler file from disk. Note that it is permissible to do
this while the system is still spooling off the disk file. To
prevent a loss of characters, use the FLUSH command to empty the
8-24
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
spooler before disabling it.
8.25.35 +SA: Enable Archive Searching
<A:00> opt +sa
When archive searching is enabled by this option, ConIX will
automatically search the default archive file, %.ARC, for a
requested command. This searching takes place only if the command
could not be found in the default directory or on the disks in the
search path.
8.25.36 -SA: Disable Archive Searching
<A:00> opt -sa
This option disables the automatic archive searching feature, and
is the default startup setting.
8.25.37 +SB: Set BDOS Address (&0006)
<A:00> opt +sb <&address>
All programs communicate with the operating system through what
are known as System Calls, or syscalls for short. These calls
request certain complex functions to be performed, such as
creating, writing, reading, and erasing files. A program accesses
the operating system through a JMP instruction stored at location
0005 in memory, which takes the program into the BDOS syscall
decoder.
This system entry point may also be used by a program for
determining the amount of TPA memory that is available for storing
its data. The address at location 0006 points to the first byte
in memory occupied by the operating system. All memory from
location 100 hex until this address may be used by the program for
data manipulation.
The +SB option allows you to change this address to any location
in memory between 100 hex and the top of ConIX (as determined by
the TOP internal command). This is useful for ``cordoning off''
an area in memory for data storage (by redirection into memory,
etc.) so that programs will not access it and modify it.
For example, let's say you wanted to reserve 256 bytes of memory
for data storage. You would first determine the top location of
ConIX, which, for demonstration purposes, we will say is at the
address 6000 hex. Next, subtract 256 from this number, giving you
5F00 hex. This will be the address which you specify to the +SB
option. The actual BDOS entry address will be set to 11 bytes
before this location. These bytes will hold a JMP into the
syscall decoder and the four error vector addresses. The area
8-25
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
between 5F00 and 6000 can now be used for safe data storage. When
a program looks at location 0006, it just sees a smaller memory
space, and will not disturb your private data area.
Note that memory management will not execute while the +SB address
is set. This is because the memory size is fixed by this option,
and managing out ConIX is not going to change it.
8.25.38 -SB: Reset BDOS Address
<A:00> opt -sb
The -SB option is used to restore the default BDOS address. It
will also return memory management to its normal mode of
operation.
8.25.39 +/-SL: Set Screen Length
<A:00> opt +/-sl <#lines>
The SL option will set the number of lines per screen for the Auto
Screen Paging function. This number may range from 0 to 255.
After the specified number of lines are printed on the console
screen, the system will automatically wait for the user's signal
to continue. The default number of lines per screenful is set to
0, thus disabling the auto-paging feature on startup.
8.25.40 +SO: Enable Spooler on Output
<A:00> opt +so
This option will enable characters waiting in the print spooler to
be sent to the printer during screen output as well as keyboard
input. This setting is the startup default.
8.25.41 -SO: Disable Spooler on Output
<A:00> opt -so
This option will disable the print spooler from outputting its
characters to the printer during screen output. This setting is
useful for reducing the extra overhead required for running the
spooler while characters are being output to the screen.
8.25.42 +/-SP: Set Disk Search Path
<A:00> opt +/-sp (path)
The SP option is used to set the Search Path which File and
Extension Searching will use to find a file. The path argument
8-26
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
takes the form:
<disk>(user#)
where disk represents the disk code, A-P, and user# the optional
user code, 0-31. If no user number is supplied, 0 will be
assumed. If a `:' is given as the disk, the current default drive
at the time of the invocation will be assumed. If a `/' is given
as the user#, the default user area at invocation will be assumed.
For example, a path of ``:ab'' will cause a command to be searched
in the current directory, user area 0 of the current disk, A:0/,
and B:0/. Note that even though there appears to be a chance that
one directory can be searched more than once (if you were in A:0/,
for example), in reality this will never occur. Internally, all
directories that were searched are remembered, and ConIX will
never waste time searching a directory more than once.
8.25.43 +SS: Set the SWITCH Stack
<A:00> opt +ss <&address> (&size)
With this option, the location in memory of the SWITCH stack will
be set to reside at address. The length of the stack is specified
by the size argument, which indicates the number of characters
that may be in a SWITCH construct at one time. If no size is
specified, a default of 130 bytes will be assumed.
The default stack setting resides in area within ConIX memory that
can accommodate up to 128 SWITCH characters. This default is
activated whenever a Command Language program is invoked.
Therefore, the SS option can only be used to set the stack within
a running program.
8.25.44 -SS: Restore the SWITCH Stack
<A:00> opt -ss
This option will reset the SWITCH stack to use the default
internal buffer of 130 bytes, or 128 characters.
8.25.45 +/-ST: Set Sleep Time Constant
<A:00> opt +/-st <#value>
The SLEEP command uses a built-in timing loop for determining the
amount of real time used by each increment of its argument. This
loop simply decrements a number until it becomes zero. The ST
option is used to set this counter to value, which is the number
of iterations to be executed in this timing loop. This value will
produce varied results on different machines, and therefore, you
must experiment with different numbers which may range from 0 to
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Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
65535. Each loop should idle the CPU for one-tenth of a second.
8.25.46 +TA: Set Type-Ahead Buffer
<A:00> opt +ta <&address> (#size)
This option will set the address of the buffer which is used to
hold type-ahead characters. By default, this buffer is set to an
internal storage area capable of holding up to 80 characters. The
specified address sets the location in memory of the type-ahead
buffer. The length of this buffer is determined by the size
argument, which, if omitted, is assumed to be a default of 80
bytes.
8.25.47 -TA: Reset Type-Ahead Buffer
<A:00> opt -ta
This option resets the type-ahead buffer address to the default 80
character internal storage area.
8.25.48 +/-TC: Set Type-Ahead Cancel Character
<A:00> opt +/-tc <&char>
The type-ahead cancel character is used to flush all characters in
the type-ahead buffer. It is set by default to CTRL-_ (1F hex),
and may be changed with this option, where char is the hex value
of the new cancel character. A value in the control range is
recommended.
8.25.49 +TE: Enable Type-Ahead Echo
<A:00> opt +te
When the +TE option is specified, any input characters which enter
the type-ahead buffer will be printed to the screen. This
provides for the viewing of characters as they are being read into
the type-ahead buffer. This setting is especially useful for
systems which do not implement internal type-ahead. On such a
system, you would have to wait until a character is read by ConIX
before typing the next. This setting allows for visual
confirmation of receipt of the typed character so that you may
enter the next.
Note that echo is not instantaneous, as ConIX only samples input
during disk operations and screen output.
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ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.25.50 -TE: Disable Type-Ahead Echo
<A:00> opt -te
The -TE option disables the echoing of type-ahead characters as
set by the +TE option. This setting is the default on startup.
8.25.51 +TR: Enable Command Tracer
<A:00> opt +tr
This option is used to enable the Command Line Tracer, which
displays each entered command exactly as will be executed.
Variables referenced on the command line will be expanded in the
trace. In other words, the contents of the parsed or final
command line will be displayed.
This command is most useful for tracing the execution of a Command
Language program, where each program step will be displayed on the
console screen. A `+' sign is placed before each trace line,
thereby making it easier to distinguish program output from tracer
output.
8.25.52 -TR: Disable Command Tracer
<A:00> opt -tr
This option is used to turn off the command line tracer which was
previously enabled by the +TR option.
8.25.53 +UC: Set Upper Case Mapping
<A:00> opt +uc
The +UC option enables the standard action of mapping all
lowercase letters on the command line to uppercase before
execution. This is the default mode of operation on startup.
8.25.54 -UC: Disable Upper Case Mapping
<A:00> opt -uc
This option will disable the uppercase mapping of all all
characters typed on the command line. In this mode, the case of
the characters entered will remain unmodified. The only exception
is the command name itself, which will be mapped to uppercase to
maintain compatibility with disk-based programs and ConIX internal
commands.
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Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
8.25.55 +/-VF: Set Variable File Location
<A:00> opt +/-vf (D:)(#/)
The 52 disk-based variables are stored in the disk file VARS.SET
which is created with its invisible (SYS) attribute enabled. By
default, ConIX will assume to manipulate this file on A:0/. This
location may be changed by using the VF option, where D: is the
disk code, and #/ is the user area. Either or both of these codes
may be specified in the argument string.
8.25.56 +XD: Enable ExpanDisk References
<A:00> opt +xd <start> (end) (mount)
This option is used to set the disk drives which will be utilized
by the ExpanDisk feature. Any disk drive code (A-P) that is
referenced in the range of start to end, will be mounted on the
mount disk drive. If the end disk is not specified, it is set, by
default, to drive P:. If the mount disk is not specified, it is
assumed to be the start disk minus one drive (as B: - 1 = A:).
By default, the start disk is set to I:, the end disk to K:, and
the mount disk to A:. Therefore, only drives I, J, and K
reference the mount-disk A. All other drive references are passed
unmodified to CP/M.
8.25.57 -XD: Disable ExpanDisk References
<A:00> opt -xd
This option disables the ExpanDisk feature. All drive references
will be passed to CP/M for evaluation.
8.25.58 +/-XS: Set Extension Search List
<A:00> opt +/-xs <.EXT(s)>
The XS option sets the Extension Search List, which contains the
filename extensions for which ConIX will search when not found in
the current directory. The .EXT argument is the three character
filename extension of the file to be searched. Up to 10 such
extension arguments may be supplied.
8.25.59 +XU: Set Extended User Areas
<A:00> opt +xu
The +XU option enables command line access to extended user areas
(16-31), which is the ConIX startup default. When these user
areas are enabled, the byte at 0004h will no be longer used for
8-30
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
storing/retrieving the current user area. This will cause
incompatibility with programs that modify 0004h to change the
default user area. (A special syscall is now available to perform
this function.)
8.25.60 -XU: Disable Extended User Areas
<A:00> opt -xu
The -XU option disables command line access to user areas above
15. This setting provides compatibility with programs that use
location 0004h to change the default user area.
8.26 OUT: Output Data to a Port
<A:00> out <&port> <&data>
The OUT command is used to write a data value to a system port, as
in:
<A:00> out 20 3F
which outputs a 3F to port 20. Legal port numbers range from 0 to
FF, which is the standard number of ports that an 8080/Z80 can
address.
8.27 READ: Read a File into Memory
<A:00> read <&start> <&end> <filename>
The READ command is used to read a disk file directly into an area
of system memory specified by the start and end addresses. The
filename argument indicates the name of the file to be read, as
in:
<A:00> read 100 fff foo.asm
which will read the disk file FOO.ASM into memory from location
100 hex to location FFF.
If the memory buffer is not large enough to hold the file, the
remainder will be discarded. In any case, the location after the
last byte written in memory is stored in the hex variables, with
$$1 holding the hi-byte and $$2 the lo-byte of the address.
8.28 REN: Rename a Disk File
<A:00> ren <new>=<old>
This command is used to change the name of an existing disk file.
The argument to REN specifies the new filename to be assigned to
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Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
the old, or current name of the file, as in:
<A:00> ren foo.sav=foo.asm
which will change the name of the file FOO.ASM to FOO.SAV. If you
wish to change the name of a file in disk or user area other than
the one you're currently working in, use:
<A:00> ren b:10/test.asm=test.sav
which renames the file B:10/TEST.SAV to B:10/TEST.ASM. You cannot
rename files across disks and user areas. Instead, you must make
a copy and delete the original.
8.29 RESET: Reset Disks
<A:00> reset (drive(s))
RESET is used to reset or unlog the specified disk drive(s). Each
drive to be reset is specified as a single letter (A-P) in the
first argument. For example,
<A:00> reset bc
will reset only drives B: and C:. If the drive specification is
eliminated, all disks will be reset. This command is useful for
cancelling any write protect settings which may have occurred
after a disk swap or write error.
NOTE: Rumors have it that there exists a bug in the CP/M RESET
DRIVE syscall (#37) which can sometimes cause damage to a disk
directory. This syscall is used by RESET when the drive(s)
argument is specified. We have not been able to verify the rumor,
so exercise caution when using this syscall. Using RESET without
arguments to reset all disks at once should not be affected by
this problem.
8.30 SET: Set Disk Variables
<A:00> set ((variable) =) (value)
The SET command is used to change the contents of the 52 disk-
based letter variables. The variable to be set is specified by a
single letter, a-z or A-Z. Its value may be given as the third
argument on the command line. If no argument is given, a line of
input will be taken as the value of the variable.
For example, the command line:
<A:00> set a = "hello"
will set the variable $A to contain the string "hello". The same
result will occur when using the command:
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ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
<A:00> set a =
hello
<A:00>
The only difference is that the value of $A was taken from the
console input stream instead of the command line. Note that if
the input stream should contain any control characters, they will
be stored as a part of the variable.
If no arguments are given to SET on the command line, then all
variables which contain a value will be listed to the screen, as:
<A:00> set
A: A:00 FOO ASM : FOO COM
X: exec asm foo.aaz; load foo; foo
<A:00>
The number of variables listed by this operation will be saved in
the internal hex variable $$0.
This last feature is the only functional difference between the
SET and = (Equals) command. The Equals command was simply
provided as a matter of style. To illustrate, the command:
<A:00> dir | set a =
is 100% equivalent in operation to the command:
<A:00> dir | = a
Both of these command lines set the $A variable to the first line
of the DIR command output. However, the latter usage reads and
looks much better than the former. The SET command seems to imply
the need for a value on the command line, as ``set variable A
equal to something''. The Equals command seems to be best suited
to reading its value from the console input, as ``set something to
equal variable A''.
All letter variables are stored in the disk file, A:0/VARS.SET.
This file is created with its SYS attribute set, and will not
appear in a regular directory listing. If this file does not
exist, it will be created when a variable is set or accessed by
SET or Equals. Each variable stored in the variable file is
assigned a space of 255 bytes (two records).
8.31 SRCH: Search for a Byte in Memory
<A:00> srch <&start> <&end> <&byte> (&new)
SRCH will search an area of memory for a specific byte, and print
each address at which a match was found. The memory to be
searched is specified by the start and end addresses. The value
it will be looking for is specified as byte. For example:
8-33
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
<A:00> srch 100 1ff ff
13F
170
1FA
<A:00>
will search memory from 100 to 1FF hex for a data value of FF.
The addresses printed represent the locations in memory which
contain this value.
You may also change all matched bytes by specifying the new byte,
as:
<A:00> srch 100 1ff ff 0
13F
170
1FA
<A:00>
which changes the three locations which contained FF to now
contain 0.
8.32 TEXT: Read Text with Editing
<A:00> text (-)
The TEXT command will read editable lines of text from the
keyboard and output them to the console. You may reference `$'
variables directly in the input stream, and their contents will be
substituted automatically into the output stream. If you do not
want this substitution to occur, preface the dollar sign with a
backslash. Typing an exclamation point, `!', at the beginning of
a line, with no other characters following it, indicates the end
of the input stream. TEXT will always read from the console
keyboard, even when used from within a command file.
If the "-" argument is specified, all leading spaces or tabs
before the text on each line of input will be removed before
printing. White space between words will be preserved.
8.33 TOP: Print Top Address of ConIX
<A:00> top
TOP is used to determine the top or starting address of ConIX in
memory. This address points to the location in memory before the
first byte of the ConIX machine code, and is useful for
calculating the amount of available TPA memory. Note that the
address value returned by TOP is not changed when the OPT +SB
command is used. To determine the true end of the TPA segment,
examine the lo-hi word at location 0006 in memory.
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ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.34 TYPE: List File Contents
<A:00> type (file(s))
TYPE will list the ASCII contents of the specified file(s) to the
console screen. If no arguments are supplied, TYPE will read its
input from the console keyboard, terminated by an EOF (CTRL-Z).
This makes it useful as a filter when reading characters through a
pipe stream.
8.35 UDIR: List Files Through User Areas
<A:00> udir <#start> <#end> (file(s))
UDIR will search from the start to end user area for the specified
file(s). If no files are specified, or a disk and/or user area is
given, the entire directory will be listed. Files may be
specified according to the syntax of the DIR command. For
example,
<A:00> udir 0 10 *.asm
will list the names of all files that end with a .ASM extension in
user areas 0 through 10.
8.36 WP: Write Protect Disks
<A:00> wp (drive(s))
The WP command will write protect the specified drive(s), as in:
<A:00> wp ac
<A!00>
where disks A: and C: will be write protected. If the drive
specification is omitted, the current drive will be assumed.
Writing to a protected disk will cause a system error:
Bdos Err On D: R/O
where R/O means that the drive was read-only or write protected.
This error will cause the program's execution to be terminated.
Note that swapping disks without hitting a CTRL-C or performing a
disk reset will automatically cause the drive to be write
protected the next time its directory is accessed.
If a question mark is specified as the argument to WP, a single
letter corresponding to each disk which is software write-
protected will be listed to the screen. For example:
8-35
Utility Commands ConIX Operating System
<A!00> wp ?
AC
<A!00>
indicates that disks A: and C: are currently write-protected.
8.37 WRITE: Write Memory to a File
<A:00> write <&start> <&end> <filename>
The WRITE command is used to save an area of system memory to a
disk file. This area is specified by the start and end addresses,
and the filename indicates the file which is to hold the data, as
in:
<A:00> write 100 fff mem.dat
which writes memory from location 100 hex to location FFF into the
file MEM.DAT.
Note: the WRITE command replaces the SAVE command that is built
into the CP/M CCP. It's syntax was:
SAVE <records> <filename>
where records indicated the number of 256 byte buffers in memory
to be written to the file. The WRITE command makes this obsolete
because SAVE was limited to starting from location 100 and writing
only in increments of 256. Using WRITE, you no longer have to
convert into records the amount of memory which is to be written.
Direct addressing specifies this for you, quickly and easily.
To convert from the old SAVE to WRITE, use the formula:
end = (256*(records+1))-1
where records is the number of 256 byte buffers normally specified
to the SAVE command. The start address should be specified as 100
hex.
8.38 XSTAT: Print Exit Status
<A:00> xstat (&status)
The XSTAT command will report the exit status of the previously
executed command. After XSTAT finishes execution, it will set the
given exit status. If invoked without the status argument, the
exit status of the previous command will be maintained. In this
way, you may place XSTAT in a command sequence to monitor the exit
status of a particular command without affecting the operation of
the whole.
8-36
ConIX Operating System Utility Commands
8.39 ZAP: Modify Memory
<A:00> zap <&address> (&value(s))
With the ZAP command you can change the data stored at any
location in system memory. The start address points to the first
location to be changed. The specified value will be placed in
memory at that location. Additional values will be stored
sequentially from the start address, as:
<A:00> zap 100 c3 00 00
which changes location 100 hex to C3, and locations 101 and 102 to
00.
8.40 Command Name Conflicts
If you have a disk-based .COM file with the same name as a ConIX
built-in command, the ConIX command will always execute when
requested. This is because ConIX attempts to find a command
internally before searching the disk directory. To resolve this
conflict, you can either change the name of the program to one
that doesn't conflict, or preface the command name with a colon
when invoked on the command line, as:
<A:00> :<command> (arg(s))
where the requested command will only be searched for in the disk
directory and search path.
8-37
<A
