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- Installing Back & Forth from a floppy disk to the hard disk!
-
- Please read this section on how to install Back & Forth on your hard disk.
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- In the below example, the machine that we are installing B&F onto has:
- 640k RAM
- Drive A: is a floppy disk
- Drive C: is a hard disk with 5 megabytes free
- Drive D: is a hard disk with 10 megabytes free
- Drive E: is a RAM disk with 4 megabytes available
- EMS memory with 2 megabytes available
-
- Note: This is not the minimum configuration required; it is only stipulated
- so that we can demonstrate the installation of Back & Forth onto your system
- using various system elements.
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 1: Creating the B&F directory
-
- Create a directory on your hard disk C named B&F and make it the
- current directory. If you wish to use another disk or directory,
- substitute that name below as appropriate.
-
- C:
- MD C:\B&F
- CD \B&F
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 2: Copy B&F to the directory
-
- Copy the B&F-1xx.EXE self-extracting file into the B&F directory. The
- '*' character is a wildcard character used to copy all files starting
- with the characters B&F and ending with EXE. The '1xx' represents the
- version number of B&F that you have.
-
- COPY A:B&F*.EXE C:\B&F
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 3: Extracting B&F
-
- The B&F-1xx.EXE file is a self-extracting file used to store all B&F
- files in one easy-to-transport package. To extract the file, type the
- name of the file at the DOS prompt, as if you were trying to run it.
- Replace the '1xx' with the current version number shown for the file.
-
- B&F-1xx
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 4: Using HD-SETUP.EXE
-
- A setup program has been provided which will create either one or two
- batch files for use in running Back & Forth. These batch files set
- the DOS environment variable, log to the Back & Forth directory, and
- execute Back & Forth. The second batch file uses the detected memory
- management software, either QEMM or 386-to-the-Max to load Back &
- Forth into high memory. This batch files are B&F.BAT and B&FHI.BAT.
-
- Once the Back & Forth has been extracted from its storage file, run:
-
- HD-SETUP
-
- If you have a black and white or composite monitor, run HD-SETUP with
- the following command line parameter:
-
- HD-SETUP /BW
-
- If you have a CGA card, run HD-SETUP with the following:
-
- HD-SETUP /SNOW
-
- --------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- The contents of B&F.BAT: C:
- CD C:\B&F
- SET B&F=C:\B&F
- B&F %1
-
- The contents of B&FHI.BAT: C:
- (with QEMM) CD C:\B&F
- SET B&F=C:\B&F
- LOADHI BNFHIGH
- BNFLOW %1
-
- The contents of B&FHI.BAT: C:
- (with 386-to-the-Max Pro) CD C:\B&F
- SET B&F=C:\B&F
- 386LOAD PROG=BNFHIGH
- BNFLOW %1
-
- The contents of B&FHI.BAT: C:
- (with 386-to-the-Max) CD C:\B&F
- SET B&F=C:\B&F
- 386MAX LOADHIGH
- BNFHIGH
- 386MAX LOADLOW
- BNFLOW %1
-
- The %1 lets you enter the "GO" parameter, which bypasses the Swap Drive Setup
- screen. For example, to run B&F using this batch file with the "GO" command,
- type the following at the DOS prompt:
-
- B&F GO
-
- This bypasses the Swap Drive setup screen and immediately enters the Back &
- Forth main screen. If you have programs set up for Automatic loading, they
- loaded without further ado.
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 5: Installing the swap areas for B&F
-
- You are now ready to define the swap areas for Back & Forth. This
- is only required the first time B&F is run and any time that its
- its memory allocation needs to be changed. To run B&F, you must be
- located within its program directory. This allows us to save 1.5k
- for your programs' use.
-
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 6: Using the Swap Drive Setup
-
- When the Swap Drive setup is used, a menu is shown listing the
- possible swap areas that can be specified and the information
- needed. Not all of these entries must be filled. Here is where
- our hypothetical system defined at the beginning of this file
- comes into use.
-
- Most of these entries need two items of information defined. We
- are going to describe them individually, below. Please understand
- that the amounts shown are approximate, they vary between systems.
-
- * B&F swap drive
-
- This is where the B&F program itself is stored when you run a program
- from Back & Forth. The swap space needed is based on the programs
- loaded globally. Plan on 19k per task if UltraVision is loaded
- before B&F, else plan on 4k. Select the fastest swap drive available, since this data is routinely accessed. It needs
- approximately 80k of space. The fastest storage device available
- should be used to store its information, since it will probably be
- the data swapped most often. In our system, the Drive E: RAM disk
- should be used.
-
- Move the cursor to the B&F drive entry and press E.
-
- * Video swap drive
-
- This is where screen information generated by the swapped programs is
- stored. We decided to use a separate swap area for this information
- since this amount can be variable, depending solely on the screen
- shown at the time of the swap and the graphics mode in use. Use a
- hard disk for this information. If you assume the worst case: running
- 9 programs at once in graphics mode with complicated graphics screens,
- approximately 1megabyte will be needed. Most graphics screens are
- between 8-96k in size. In our system, use either of the hard disks,
- just make sure that 1m is always available for use.
-
- Move the cursor to the Video swap entry and press C.
-
- * Conventional memory
-
- This is not user-definable, it simply tells you how much memory is
- available for use in running a program under B&F. This amount is
- arrived at by taking the amount of RAM, subtracting the amount of
- memory occupied by DOS, loaded device drivers, TSRs, and the B&F
- module (approx. 12-16k). Our hypothetical system shows approximately
- 552k available (640k - 72k(DOS) - 16k(B&F)). This amount is only an
- approximate.
-
- * Use expanded memory
-
- If EMS memory is detected on your system, this will be shown On, with
- the maximum amount shown to its right. Allocate as much of it as you
- can spare. If the EMS memory on your system is created by a program
- by allocating hard disk space or extended memory, do not use this
- memory. Too much of it is usually used to store disk tables, etc and
- it is potentially unreliable and slow. For our hypothetical system,
- allocate all of it to B&F. If your programs use this memory, be sure
- to take the amount needed by those programs into account when
- allocating this memory.
-
- Move the cursor to the Use expanded memory amount and enter 2000.
-
- * Use extended memory
-
- Sets whether extended memory is to be used and if so, how much is to
- be used by B&F. If none is found, this cannot be selected.
-
- None is available so none is allocated.
-
- * Program swap drive 1-3
-
- Below the EMS entry are shown three program swap drive entries. Not
- all of these must be filled. If you have one drive with enough disk
- space to accomodate the maximum swap amount possible, define only
- one of these entries, leaving the other 2 blank.
-
- At the bottom of the screen, within the help dialog box, the maximum
- possible swap amount is shown. This amount is computed by multiplying
- the conventional memory available by 20 (the maximum number of tasks)
- and adding 152 (the space needed to store B&F overlay data). On our
- system, approx 11192k are needed if 20 tasks are to be run at once
- using 552k each. If you plan to run fewer tasks or know that some of
- the tasks require less memory, use a lesser value. This swap space
- is allocated when B&F is first run, thus ensuring that enough space
- is available for use. Also, the amount of memory used to store a
- program is specified when it is defined for execution.
-
- For our example,we only plan to run 9 tasks. This means approximately
- 5120k is needed. On our example system, with 552k conventional memory
- and 2000k EMS memory allocated, only 2568k must be allocated on the
- program swap disks. For quicker response time, use as much RAM disk
- space as possible. In this case, 5120 - (552 + 2000) = 2568.
-
- Move the cursor to the first program swap entry and press E. Now
- enter the amount of swap space: 2568k.
-
- Leave the last two program swap drive entries blank.
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Step 7: Saving the Swap Drive Setup options
-
- Once the swap areas are defined, press [F9]. This saves the settings
- defined within this menu and runs B&F.
-
- ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
-
- Setting up Back & Forth
-
- Once you have selected [F9], you are then passed into the Back & Forth main
- screen. The first time Back & Forth is run, no programs are defined so the
- screen looks strangely empty. To remedy this situation, press [F7] to enter
- the Setup menu.
-
- When the Setup menu is displayed, a list of options are shown on the screen.
- The one that we are interested in at the moment is the [P] Program setup
- option. Press [P] to enter the Program setup. When selected, a blank program
- list window is shown on the screen. Press [F3] to Add a program entry.
-
- You are now prompted for a lot of program information.
-
-
- The above should get you going! If you can't get the program running, please
- don't hestitate to call me at (512) 670-1061 for aid. Please note, if we are
- not available, please leave your name on the answering machine and call back
- later.
-
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-