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- Installing CompuShow
- ====================
-
- If you received CompuShow on a floppy disk, install it as described below and
- set the original floppy aside (don't run ANY SOFTWARE on an original "master
- disk"; install it on a hard disk or a "working copy floppy disk", first.) If
- you downloaded CompuShow using a modem, copy the downloaded file to a backup
- floppy before proceeding.
-
- After installing CompuShow, we recommend that you print all the documentation
- on your printer. You should either have README.BAT or README.EXE included
- with the CompuShow program. At your DOS prompt, type "README" and press
- carriage return (or ENTER).
-
- Installing on a floppy disk
- ---------------------------
-
- Install CompuShow on a floppy disk by copying the CompuShow files to a
- formatted disk (for example, "COPY A:*.* B:" will copy all files from a disk
- in drive A: to a disk in drive B:).
-
- Installing on a hard disk
- -------------------------
-
- Install CompuShow on a hard disk by placing the files in a separate hard disk
- sub-directory. For example, to place CompuShow on hard disk drive C:
-
- C:
- MD CSHOW
- CD CSHOW
- COPY A:*.*
-
- Compressing CSHOW.EXE
- ---------------------
-
- The CompuShow program(s) have been compressed using PkLite. Do not attempt to
- compress them again using PkLite, LzExe or a similar utility.
-
- Executing CompuShow
- -------------------
-
- In order to be able to execute CompuShow "from anywhere" you can do one of
- two things:
-
- 1) add "C:\CSHOW" to the "PATH" statement in AUTOEXEC.BAT
- 2) use a batch file (on the path) to execute CompuShow.
-
- We recommend the SECOND method, so create a batch file in a sub-directory
- that's already included in the path statement of AUTOEXEC.BAT. For example,
- at your DOS prompt, execute the PATH command without any parameters to find
- out what the current setting is:
-
- PATH <-- you type this
- PATH=C:\PROGRAMS;C:\BATS;C:\DOS <-- DOS responds
-
-
-
-
- [SETUP.DOC] Page 1
- Select an appropriate sub-directory (such as C:\BATS) and create a batch file
- to execute CompuShow. (You may also want to put one or more of the start-up
- options, listed below, in the batch file):
-
- (DOS version 5 includes a text editor)
- EDIT C:\BATS\CSHOW.BAT
- type in:
- C:\CSHOW\CSHOW %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9
- then Alt-F X Y (to exit the edit progam and save the file)
-
- (DOS version 3 and above):
-
- C:
- CD \BATS
- COPY CON CSHOW.BAT
- C:\CSHOW\CSHOW %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9^Z
-
- (DOS below version 3):
-
- C:
- CD \BATS
- COPY CON CSHOW.BAT
- C:
- CD \CSHOW
- CSHOW %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 %6 %7 %8 %9^Z
-
- (The ^Z above means hold down the CTRL key and type Z). The purpose of "%1"
- through "%9" is to allow you to pass command-line arguments to the program
- through the batch file. Execute "CSHOW" at your DOS prompt and the batch file
- is executed to load CompuShow no matter "where you are".
-
- Start-up options
- ================
-
- "Command-line switches" let you control graphics video features, program
- options, and the way that the program allocates memory for various purposes.
-
- 1. In case of problems getting started
- --------------------------------------
-
- CompuShow requires at least 325k of available memory (depending on the
- start-up options specified.) If the program displays an "Insufficient
- memory" message, you need to make more memory available. (Remove some
- memory-resident programs, for example.)
-
- /L1 Use this switch if the screen goes blank when you start CompuShow.
- Early Leading Edge "IBM compatible" computers (and other incompatible
- adapters) would display black-on-black text when a program tried to
- set the text-mode border color.
-
- /T1 Use this switch for gray on black text, if you can't read the text
- screen in color. Good for LCD screens.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- [SETUP.DOC] Page 2
- /A In the (extremely rare) case where CompuShow can't detect the type of
- video adapter you have, you can FORCE it. In general, you shouldn't
- need this switch, unless there's a serious problem:
-
- /Ah Hercules monochrome graphics adapter
- /Ac CGA
- /Ae EGA
- /Ab EGA with monochrome monitor
- /Am MCGA
- /Av VGA
-
- /M Mouse cursor. The default on EGA or VGA adapters is the 'software
- cursor'. On some adapters, moving the mouse may 'scramble' the text
- screen so badly, that you can't use the software mouse at all. If the
- software mouse does work, clicking on the mouse prompt at the bottom
- of the screen allows you to select a software mouse shape or the
- hardware (blinking) cursor. If the characters on the screen
- occasionally become 'corrupted', click repeatedly to change to the
- hardware cursor, which will restore the original characters.
-
- /M0 Disable the mouse entirely.
- /M1 Use the standard hardware mouse.
- /Mn Use software cursor shape n (2..9) as indicated by /M on the
- Shift-F1 box.
-
- 2. Graphics features that don't work
- ------------------------------------
-
- /H0 Hardware panning on an EGA. If your screen is scrambled in 640x350x16
- mode, use this switch to disable hardware panning.
-
- /C0 Color palette setting for MCGA/VGA. Use this switch to set the palette
- through the BIOS.
-
- /[0 Disable extended 320x400x256 mode
-
- /]0 Disable extended 360x480x256 mode
-
- 3. Special graphics modes
- -------------------------
-
- /E Enable a "Super-EGA" 640x480x16 mode
-
- /Ea Ahead (mode 38)
- /Eg Genoa (mode 115)
- /Ep Paradise (mode 80)
- /Et Tseng Labs (mode 37)
- /Ev 'VGA' (Zenith) (mode 18)
- /E71 any decimal number as listed in your owners manual
-
- /J1 Enable PCjr (Tandy 1000) 16-color graphics.
-
- /V Video drivers are described in detail, below.
-
-
-
-
-
- [SETUP.DOC] Page 3
- 4. Program options
- ------------------
-
- /Bx Buffer size, where x is S, M, or L for a Small (2k), Medium (32k) or
- Large (62k) file read buffer.
-
- /D0 Turns dithering off
-
- /F Specifies the maximum number of files (from 0 to 9999, default 120).
- If you have a sub-directory with 1500 files, use /F1500.
-
- /G0 Turns off display of GIF comments.
-
- /Q1 Turns on Quiet mode, so that the program doesn't make any sounds.
-
- /R Rescaling
-
- /R0 Original size, don't rescale anything.
- /R1 Rescale most, except for 2-color images.
- /R2 Rescale all images to fit the screen.
-
- /U1 Turns on correction for gamma 1.0 true color graphics.
-
- /X Specifies the maximum amount of XMS or EMS memory in K-bytes. By
- default, CompuShow takes up to 1280k of EMS memory. If no EMS is
- available, it takes up to 1280k of XMS. You can specify any amount
- from 1k to 30000k (30meg).
-
- /X2000e use 2000k of Ems
- /X800x use 800k of Xms
-
- Options and memory
- ------------------
-
- In CompuShow, hold down a shift key and press F1 or right-click F1help to pop
- up the Program Information box, which identifies the amount of memory used
- for various purposes. This information is important for several reasons:
-
- - The size of the "virtual screen" determines whether (and how much) you can
- pan images larger than the screen, and can affect the operation of the
- restore-to-previous function and transparency.
-
- The (default) small read buffer (/B option) provides the most memory for a
- large virtual screen.
-
- Turning on PCjr graphics (/J1) takes 32k away from the virtual screen.
-
- - If you have a lot of files in a directory, and the program needs memory to
- pop up a box, it will have to "abandon" the sorted file list. The '/F'
- option lets you reserve memory for a directory of up to 9999 files. Keep
- in mind that reserving memory for a large directory leaves less memory for
- the virtual screen.
-
- If CompuShow uses EMS or XMS memory for the virtual screen, the /B, /J and /F
- switches have no effect on the size of the virtual screen.
-
-
-
- [SETUP.DOC] Page 4
- Selecting a Video Driver
- ------------------------
-
- Remember that all standard graphics modes are 'built in' to the program. If
- your graphics adapter doesn't go beyond the standard modes, then you DON'T
- NEED a video driver.
-
- DRIVERS.DOC includes a complete, up-to-date list of all video drivers.
-
- - If you have a CGA, Plantronics, AT&T DEB, or similar (older, non-VGA)
- graphics adapter, just select the appropriate video driver.
-
- - If you know you have a specific Super-VGA, pick that driver.
-
- - If you're not sure whether you have a Super-VGA or what kind it is,
- execute the WHICHDRV program. If WhichDrv doesn't identify a Super-VGA,
- then you probably don't have one (and don't need a video driver).
-
- The "/v" command-line switch tells the program to load a video driver. For
- example, DRIVERS.DOC says V2=VESA BIOS Extensions.
-
- CShow /vV2
-
- loads that video driver. Select a graphic file and press enter to bring up
- the Graphics Information Box. Up to fifteen video driver modes are assigned
- the letters K through Y. Test each mode by pressing a key and keep track of
- the modes which work. (If the text screen just changes color, the mode
- doesn't work. If none of the video driver modes work, this driver won't do
- you any good.) Assuming, for example, that modes K, L, M, and N work, exit
- CompuShow, return to DOS, and do:
-
- SETUP V2 KLMN
-
- This will set up the video driver to be loaded automatically (so don't use
- the /v command) and also tells CompuShow which modes work, so it can select
- one of those modes as the best mode for display when you press the spacebar.
-
- Erasing Files
- =============
-
- If your hard disk is crowded, and you need to erase unnecessary files after
- you've printed the documentation and completed the setup:
-
- - Execute CSHOW with all the original files present (to create CSHOW.DAT)
- - We recommend that you keep a 'backup copy' of all the original files on a
- floppy disk
- - Erase any files that you no longer need on your hard disk. As a minimum,
- you'll have THREE files: CSHOW.EXE CSHOW.DAT FONTS.DRV
- If you selected a video driver, you'll also have: VIDEO.DRV VIDEO.DAT
-
-
-
-
-
-
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-
-
- [SETUP.DOC] Page 5
-