Re: Whither goest DOS?

Jerry,

Hey! Yahoo gave some "downstream" posts to the thread. I do
read "ahead" when they're available; otherwise it's strictly
sequential, which I'll be going back to now :-(

Thank you. This is useful info.

So do you (or any other list members) have an opinion about the
viability of offering a DOS based controller to home hobbiest
cnc'ers? and I'm asking for thoughts of viability "beyond" our group
members here (who would likely just put dos on a box if that's what
it took<G>).

Put another way, how long do you think a dos based controller could
be successfully offered "out there" in the real world beyond CCED?

Thank you in advance.

Ballendo

P.S. I'm hoping answers to this will let me see beyond MY small slice
of what *I think* is happening out there in the cnc world... Towards
what is REALLY happening...

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Carol & Jerry Jankura"
<jerry.jankura@s...> wrote:

> Marcus:
>
> This reply is a little long winded, but I hope it helps you and

others set

> their Win based machines so they have the option to boot either

Windows or

> Plain DOS. The newer the version of Windows, the less "real DOS"

you'll

> encounter. My understanding of the situation is:
>
> 1. Anything built with NT as a kernel (Win 2000, Win XP, etc.) does

not have

> DOS, plain and simple. Every "DOS" program runs under an emulator.
>
> 2. Anything else from MicroSoft still has the "tried and true" DOS

as a

> base. Each "later" version of Windows 3.1->95->98->98SE->98ME makes

it more

> difficult to boot a plain DOS system, even though DOS is there.
>
> 3. With Windows 95, 98, 98SE (don't have 98ME, don't particularly

want it)

> you may edit both MSDOS.SYS and CONFIG.SYS to build a dual boot

system - one

> that boots either into a DOS only environment or one that boots

into a

> Windows environment.
>
> 4. Edit the MSDOS.SYS as follows:
>
> [Options]
> AutoScan=0 No ScanDISK if you simply turn the machine off
> BootMulti=1 Allow multiple operating environments
> BootGUI=0 Boot into DOS first
> DoubleBuffer=1
> LOGO=0 Don't display bitmap while booting.
>
> 5. One way to edit CONFIG.SYS is:
>
> [Menu]
> MenuItem=4DOS, MS-DOS 7.1 + 4DOS CLI
> MenuItem=NORMAL, MS-DOS 7.1 + COMMAND CLI with EMM386 Driver
> MenuItem=WIN98, Windows GUI
> MenuItem=CD, MS-DOS 7.1 with CD Support
> MenuItem=NOTHING, MS-DOS 7.1 Unadorned
> MenuDefault=Win98, 10 <== Line sets

default, set to 4DOS or NORMAL for

> DOS
> MenuColor 11, 1
>
> [Common]
> DOS=HIGH,UMB
> Device=C:\Windows\HiMem.SYS /TestMem:OFF
>
> [4DOS]
> SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
> Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
> DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
> rem Device=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\mouse.drv
>
> [Normal]
> Shell=C:\COMMAND.COM C:\ /E:3072 /P
> Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
> DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
>
> [WIN98]
> SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
> Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
> DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
>
> [CD]
> SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
> Device=C:\Windows\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM HIGHSCAN
> DeviceHigh=\sys\oakcdrom.sys /D:MSCD001
> DeviceHigh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
>
> [NOTHING]
> SHELL=C:\4DOS-700\4DOS.COM C:\4DOS-700 /E:3072 /P
> DeviceHIgh=C:\Windows\Command\ANSI.SYS
>
> [Common]
> Set OS=WIN98
> Files=50
>
> Note that I prefer to use 4DOS from JPSoftware as a command line

interpreter

> rather than Command.COM. I also prefer to have a means of booting

into a

> real mode environment without EMM386.EXE when I want to do some

debug.

>
> 6. Set AutoEXEC to look something like:
>
> CLS
> IFF "%CONFIG%"=="WIN98" THEN
> ECHO %COMPUTER% \\ MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
> ECHO Loading Windows '98 GUI, Please Wait
> VERIFY OFF
> C:\WINDOWS\WIN.COM
> ENDIFF
> IFF "%CONFIG%"=="%NORMAL%" THEN
> ECHO %COMPUTER% \\MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
> ECHO MS Command Line Interface
> ENDIFF
> IFF "%CONFIG%"=="4DOS" THEN
> ECHO %COMPUTER% \\ MicroSoft Win-98 Release %VER%
> ECHO 4DOS Command Line Interface
> VERIFY OFF
> ENDIFF
>
> Note that this code is for the 4DOS command interpreter, which

allows for

> if-then-else and if-endif blocks. You'll have to modify it to work

properly

> under Command.COM, but you get the idea of how it can work.
>
> If you boot into the command line, simply

type "Windows\WIN<EnterKey> to

> start Windows.
>
> I hope this helps.
>
> -- Carol & Jerry Jankura
> Strongsville, Ohio
> So many toys, so little time....
>
>
> |-----Original Message-----
> |From: Marcus & Eva [mailto:implmex@a...]
> |Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 9:27 AM
> |To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y...
> |Subject: Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Whither goest DOS?
> |
> |
> |Hi all:
> | I was under the impression that the later versions of Windoze

offered

> |only an approximation of DOS when accessed as "MSDOS" from the

main screen.

> |I was also told that if you boot directly to DOS by editing your

MSDOSsys

> |file, you will get a clean version that will perform as DOS should.
> |Have I been mis-led??
> |It seems to be OK for my DOSSHELL application (DX32 Bridgeport

control),

> but
> |if I try to run from "MSDOS" I get a screenful of Chinese noodles!!
> |Cheers