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1993-08-09
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The DELAY driver - version 1.5
------------------------------
This is a simple OS/2 device driver for providing a timed delay during
system startup from CONFIG.SYS. It is useful in situations where several
machines are being brought up at the same time, but some must not proceed
past a certain point until others are fully functional. It is also very
useful when a message from some device driver scrolls by on the screen
too fast to be read or analyzed.
Installation
============
Copy DELAY.SYS to a convenient directory; it does not have to be on your
boot disk, and it may be convenient to keep it elsewhere if you are in
the habit of reformatting it to install new versions or betas of OS/2!
Usage
=====
To insert a delay of up to 30 minutes in a CONFIG.SYS file for OS/2
(version 1.3 or 2.x), insert the following statement in CONFIG.SYS and
reboot the system:
DEVICE=d:\path\DELAY.SYS mm:ss [message]
where
d:\path\ represents where you have chosen to store DELAY.SYS,
mm:ss is the intended delay in minutes and seconds, and
message is an optional message that will appear during the delay.
The possible forms of mm:ss are quite liberal:
2:00 Two minutes, no seconds
2: Two minutes
2 Two seconds
:02 Two seconds
:120 One-hundred-twenty seconds (i.e., two minutes)
Any variant of zero seconds (e.g., 0, 0:00) will cause no delay
to happen at all, but the message will be issued to the screen.
The maximum delay permitted is 30 minutes (1800 seconds), ir-
respective of how that may've been represented on the command
line.
Errors:
Common errors (e.g., missing or excessive delay time) are
reported as General Failures to OS/2, with the message
'DELAY driver - invalid argument'
on the screen, and the driver will fail to load.
Examples:
DEVICE=c:\os2.ext\DELAY.SYS 2:00 ***Wait for NetWare to come up***
(waits for two minutes, showing the message, while waiting for
the NetWare server to come up, in case both the NetWare server
and OS/2 computer were subjected to a common power failure)
DEVICE=c:\os2.ext\DELAY.SYS :05
(inserts a five-second delay to leave time to observe a message
that may've been displayed by a previously executed DEVICE=
statement.)
Operation
=========
The DELAY driver performs no useful function except at initialisation
time. At this time it delays for a time specified by an argument on the
DEVICE= line, while displaying the short (optional) message. At the
conclusion of the delay time, CONFIG.SYS processing proceeds normally.
A small part of the driver stays resident after loading, to avoid a
rude messages about non-installation from OS/2; however, it is very small
(minimal code and no data) and the device name it defines (DELAY$$$)
is unlikely to cause any name clashes.
Multiple copies of the driver may be loaded if multiple delays are
required (since the delay happens when the driver is loaded, the
position of the DEVICE= line determines the point during system
initialisation at which the delay takes place). Only one copy of the
driver stays resident, the rest deinstalling themselves.
Limitations
===========
Delays are unconditional. There is no way in this driver to specify,
for instance, "Delay 2:00 minutes if--and only if--the network is not yet
up and running."
Copyright & License
===================
This Software and its documentation are Copyright, 1993 by the Author:
Bob Eager
5 Bognor Drive
Herne Bay
United Kingdom
CT6 8QP
rde@ukc.ac.uk (USENET)
100016,2770 (CompuServe)
License is granted to User to duplicate and disseminate this software
product, and to use on one computer running OS/2, PROVIDED user agrees to
1) hold Author free of any and all liability for any consequences of use
of the Software, 2) copy this DELAY.DOC file and retain it with any copy
of DELAY.SYS copied to any medium, and 3) not charge any other person or
organization for such copies. Use of this product on more than one
computer in an organization may be separately negotiated by contacting
the Author, above.